A True Seed
by Citizen Seven
Summary: Naruto Uzuzmaki. He's a competitor, it's more than what he is, it's who he is. Now, he's in a competition with the highest of stakes, his life. Reborn in a new world he'll fight to save his precious people and attempt to quell the coming storm. Rated T for moderate violence.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing and thus make no profit from this work.

A True Seed

By

Citizen Seven

All worlds are interconnected, maybe not by space or time; reality or destiny but one thing binds all things. Fate, all those living share fate, or at least two parts of her; birth and death.

Chapter 1: Let the Games Begin.

Naruto Uzumaki looked down upon the fallen, un-breathing, decapitated form of the blue garbed teen, his body numb, a strong angry female voice yelling his name and as he looked up away from the bloody mess that made up his chest to see a blonde woman in a green jacket that did nothing to cover her massive chest, he fell to his knees. His eyes closed and he spoke.

"I... I hope it was enough." he coughed out, thinking of his home and those he loved before he found himself breathing in the scent of blood and grass. His eyes opened wide and their fire slowly faded from existence as his chest shuddered and his breath halted.

As the pipes of a sewer stretched around him he'd swear he could hear the sounds of shearing in the distance. Taking a step forward he jumped to the side, a hole in the floor where he'd taken a step opening into an infinite blackness. Gulping, he took another step, this one more cautious and was relieved as it felt quite firm beneath his feet until it to cracked forcing him to break into a run.

All around him pipes burst and the roof and floor was ripped away, by the time he reached the blackness where Kurama dwelled he found the malevolent fox standing nearly perfectly still save for the minuscule twitches of its tails. "Naruto," it rumbled even as the world around it fractured.

Naruto smiled at his partner and the world shattered like glass in the midst of a twister and he dropped into that infinite blackness.

Aingh. Aingh. Aingh.

Naruto's eyes snapped open wide as soon as he noticed he was air born as well as wrapped up to tight amongst the LoZ comforter his mother had gotten him for his last birthday to brace himself in any real manner and groaned when he hit the floor with a mighty 'thump'.

"Ugh," he muttered slapping a hand to his face, "I gotta stop with the Supernova after nine." He snorted after hearing what he'd said. Like that would happen Minutes later he managed to free himself from the one comforter and four blankets that'd been wrapped around him as if cocooning him and winced as he stepped from his shag carpeted room onto the cold wood of the hall.

"Mom!" he whined looking down the hall and was met with no response. Cursing softly he padded down the wide stairs and into the kitchen where he found his mother dancing about her red hair swaying about in time with 'If I could turn back time' by Cher while flipping pancakes about. He had to admit, they didn't say much in the way of looks, his blonde hair a stark contrast to her bright red and his blue eyes nothing like her green. Not to mention the whisker like marks that adorned his cheeks.

"Naruto honey!" her smile shifted slightly as she looked at her sweat doused son. "The nightmares again?" she slipped the last pancake from the pan and ushered him to a chair where she presented him with his breakfast and a glass of orange juice.

Hesitantly he nodded staring at the eggs in front of him until she took his chin and had him looking into her blue eyes. "It's fine honey we'll try some tea tonight okay?" she ran her hands through his blonde hair.

Naruto nodded again as he enjoyed the time with his mother it wouldn't be long before she'd have to go to work and he to his last day in class. It always happened that way, and as if to prove his point there was a firm knock on the sliding glass door before Juan stuck his head in. "Ms. Uzumaki, the investors are here and Naruto the bus is only a few minutes out."

Naruto muttered a thanks and began rushing through his meal trying not to laugh at how precise each of Juan's words were and had been for the last few months. As his mother stood he made sure she couldn't see his small smile, she didn't approve of him tormenting Juan or tricking him into doing odd things.

"Have a good day sweets, everything you need's in your bag." his mother kissed his forehead and straightened her black jacket before stepping through the door. He didn't care for a moment what anyone said, his mother was the greatest in the world. His mother struggled to keep their families business afloat in the midst of the quickly growing market on the opposite coast of their biggest competitors and she did it all herself and never stopped smiling. There was no one he found more inspiring.

After shoveling a few more bites into his mouth he grabbed a bottle of Supernova from the fridge, a strip of bacon that remained on the counter beside the stove and hightailed it to the shower and than to his room where he threw on a pair of black cargo pants, a yellow shirt emblazoned with several lines of black diamonds and a pair of orange trimmed black nike's. Slipping the window open he bolted toward the cinderblock wall that surrounded their home; taking two steps up the wall he pushed off and grabbed a branch of the cedar tree and with a few kicks of his legs he was flipping all the way around it faster and faster until he slung himself off the top and over the wall clearing it with mere inches.

He hit the ground running even as the "Cedar Heights Academy" school bus pulled to a stop a little ways from him. "Uzumaki haul your rear, we need to get this heap in gear!" Coach Hedge hollered from his place on the bus.

Naruto grinned, Hedge was awesome, there wasn't a single person with more energy for an old guy and Naruto suspected the only reason he never removed his dirtied red cap from his brown curls was because his hair was retreating. Plus, he was Naruto's gymnastics coach. Man could the old guy work the rings and horse.

He scampered onto the bus and hauled himself halfway down the bus and slung himself into a seat beside Harper, a gangly guy with short black hair and a ponytail. Harper had a bit of trouble with clumsiness until you put him onto a set of balance beams. On them even olympic gymnasts would have problems keeping up.

"Dude saw you go over the wall, sweet." he said bumping his into Naruto's outstretched.

Naruto snorted as the bus jerked into motion, "It's the same move I've done for months," he stated. "I'm thinking 'bout adding a twist in there as soon as I get enough air." He slipped his bag to his feet as Coach Hedge blew his whistle.

"Okay you madmen, you are here because of the escalation in your grades so congratulations." With short steps he strutted down the aisle gripping the seats to keep his balance. "Your other teachers wanted to take you to the school, I convinced them otherwise." He said as he reached Naruto and everyone cheered.

"However." He turned upon reaching the end and started back as Connie Lawson pulled back on the rubber-band loaded with wadded chewing gum. "I don't see why they expect kids your age to just hang around a zoo so I made a call and pulled a few strings. Yes, Ms. Doss I have strings to pull." He said as the only goth in class snorted behind a face full of make up.

The gum flew through the air and Naruto lurched forward missing by the barest of margins but that didn't matter as it missed the coach by over a foot and he never even seemed to notice it striking the window to his right. "So, I pulled the strings and you're all going for a behind the scenes look. Now you can all zip your lips. Oh, and Ms. Lawson you fire another wad of anything and you'll find yourself 'hanging out,'" he made quotation marks with his fingers before continuing "with the security guards" surprising Naruto completely.

Sure the coach had a thing for discipline, all teachers did but he'd rather make you run the track than do anything else. He didn't trust other teachers or police or security, he'd rather take care of the issue himself, no matter what it was.

Harper elbowed him in the side, "dude did you see the chick from Yancy that worked the rings before you?" As soon as Naruto heard that he started tuning out until the coach stood beside them. He pointed at Harper and jerked his head toward the front of the bus while he gripped Naruto's shoulder forcing his friend to move around him.

"Scoot kid." and without waiting for a response he moved himself about and began to sit getting Naruto to scramble to the next seat. "Now kid, you've had a good year, all the whole staff agrees." He spoke in a whisper and a sense of dread began to build within the blond. "Thing is, with your track record on field trips, lets say you've still only got one strike."

Naruto winced, he had a horrible track record when it came to field trips. Last year they'd hit an amusement park and he didn't even know what happened a helium tanks shot off like a torpedo and knocked into the Ferris wheel. Thankfully no one got hurt needless to say he'd been blamed and expelled. Two years ago he was attending Calistoga and they'd gone to the Aerospace Museum and bam the engine of the F-14D Tomcat got started pulling it out of the hangar and right into the bus, who'd have figured that thing would have been operational! Who keeps old planes in working order when they're on display? Let alone leaving the keys in the things ignition. Once again expulsion was imposed upon him. Three years ago the aquarium had the glass around the shark tank shatter apart spilling the man eaters across the floor. All he did was touch the bottom of the tank where they could see a pipe escaping the facade and boom. No more place there either.

He hadn't had a full year at any school for years, Cedar Heights was his longest track record at six months. Of course they hadn't let him on a single trip. The blonde had little doubt that the thin ice he'd been skating on was already cracking beneath his feet.

Apparently Coach was able to see just that as he grimaced.

"Yeah kid, sorry."

Naruto shrugged, it wasn't like there was anything that his coach could do about it or not. Such was life. However Naruto was determined not to let anything happen on the trip, he couldn't stand remembering the look on his mothers face, let alone the thought of seeing it again. If need be he decided, he'd sit on a bench near the big cats and watch them the whole time.

He wouldn't, couldn't fail again, not when the last time he did, his mother had lost business because of him, her 'vandal' of a son.

"It's fine Coach, nothings going to happen this time! Believe it." Upon exclaiming the last two words Naruto winced and screwing up his face slapped himself hard across the cheek causing a number of his classmates to laugh.

Flushing, Naruto sent them a glare that would ignite steel before muttering cruel nothings to himself as he delved a Supernova from his pack and a bottle of water helpfully labeled, 'For Coach Hedge' down its side. He'd hardly extended it when the coach had jerked it from his hand on his way back to the front of the bus.

"Dude!" Harper started but it was already far to late, Naruto's attention was focused out the window to all the other cars they were passing. He didn't understand, why would all these people moving back and forth between work and home never bother with an actual life after graduating. Sure a number of them dated, got married, had two point three kids or like a few others just saved money their entire life for no real reason.

With no real end.

As a car beside them blew passed loaded with a full family no doubt starting early on their summer vacation he had to bite back a wince. His father had been a point of contention for a number of years. He didn't know why but the man who his mother said tended the vine and gave her the best seeds she'd ever had never bothered to visit. In fact the only thing his father had ever done to prove he existed or to be more exact his estate existed as the man himself had vanished from the face of the earth though his mother always made sure to tell him that his father was taken from them before he was even born. Anyway the estate sent him a game every year on his birthday. It was never late at least. Most recently it was a VR game that Naruto had no idea where he got from but it was loaded with call of duty.

It was awesome to say the least.

He downed another gulp as the bus pulled to a stop, the sign proudly denoted 'Roger Williams Park Zoo.' Parents and children milled about chatting even as a storm filled the sky above.

Already Naruto could feel something bad was coming. The question was what. Regardless it didn't look to him like the trip would be any kind of fun. "Coach I think I'm going to just sit in the bus." He hunched over looking out onto the long island sound.

"Buck up kid and get your rear in gear. We don't have enough chaperones to have one wait here with you." As soon as Naruto stood the coach clapped a hand on to his shoulder and gave him a wry smile. "You've been drooling over the chance to look at those big cats of yours right?" Naruto nodded allowing the short man to guide him toward the door that the rest of the class had already departed. "Than its high time you get out of the bus.

With a hard push Naruto found himself in the air almost as if he were meant to be. Bringing his arms into his chest he spun and turned himself about to land in a crouch so as to glare at the coach. "You bearded billy goat! I'm not a bouncy ball!" He snapped squinting up at the descending man who chuckled vigorously right up until the billy goat comment and glared at the blonde in front of him.

"Just get your but inside kid." Hedge with a sigh gesturing with a baseball bat toward the gates just as the rain rolled onto the shore darkening the ground in mere seconds.

Naruto nodded, ignoring the rain soaking through his hair and set its free spikes to bow. Glancing toward the guards pulling sodas and other things from the students bags and frowning sidled around to the pointed fencing and taking hold of the bars and swung himself up and over shooting a wink to a little girl who was watching him. The process wasn't new to him, they want you to buy their drinks from their stores at their prices regardless that their prices are far higher than the rest of the worlds not to mention, they didn't necessarily carry the brand they threw away. So he'd come up with a way to get around it.

Turning he found himself face to face with a grinning Harper, "dude that rocked, we gotta do this somewhere else." He chuckled and Naruto rolled his eyes.

"You shouldn't be doing that! I'm sure they've a good reason for tossing out that junk not to mention its bad for you!" At the nasally voice of Terrence Gilroy the class goody two shoes Naruto almost choked and looked to Harper just in time to find him sneering at the smaller teen.

"Just shut up brown noser!" Harper snapped as he made a show of drawing out a blue coca cola. Naruto winced, his excitable friend never had all that much of a filter between brain and mouth.

Snatching the bag from Harper as Terrence took off like a shot towards Coach Hedge, Naruto slung the bag into the bushes at his side. Taking two steps he free jumped his way back over the fence.. Without even glancing to see if anyone was looking, no ever did, he strode his way over into the line. All around him people grumbled about the rain, how it appeared from nowhere and how they wished they'd brought an umbrella, Naruto rolled his eyes; what was a little rain? Nothing couldn't use a little bit of rain, it fed the crops and nurtured the animals they found necessary for them to survive so they were complaining essentially about living.

Folding his arms behind his head, he meandered toward the gate when a reverberating screech echoed through the air. Looking up into the air he found nothing and shrugged it off.

"Next." The gate attendant called. A pleasant looking girl, slim, her long blonde hair tied in a ponytail held high on her head. She didn't smile instead she held a pinched look on her face going so far as to scrunch her nose as Naruto approached. "Any bags?" She asked in a dull tone.

"Naw, I'm good." He said. She eyed him for a moment a single pierced eyebrow lifting above her eye and than she shrugged.

"Whatever. Like I care." She waved him through

A tall woman who from the neck up looked quite a bit like a giraffe from the long neck to the puckered lips, below the neck however, he was as buff as a rhino on steroids. Folded under her arms was a large manila folder from which she was pulling a number of name tags and was passing them out freely.

Behind her in the center of the fountain was tall woman of marble, in her hands she held a bow and arrows.

"Okay kids," The large woman said, "I'm Lydia McCreed, you can call me Mrs. McCreed. Welcome to the Roger Williams Park Zoo, now the statue you see behind me. That's Artemis, Greek goddess of the hunt and wild animals. In those days the animals you will see here were numerous. Now, that's changed and for that reason Zoo's are so important. Here we breed several species to increase their population, we rehabilitate animals as well all so we can release them back into the wild."

She paused and turned to look up at the face of the statue, "you may wonder why I bothered mention her. Can any of you tell me?" She asked quietly. Turning on her heel she looked to the coach when none of them answered.

He pointed at Naruto, "tell her why." He said simply.

Naruto sighed, "I don't know cause she's got more arrows than animals these days?" His friends chuckled and he winced, that was going to cost him but Mrs. McCreed nodded and smiled.

"You're closer than you think. Artemis kept her realm brimming with animals, now it's up to us to repopulate her kingdom."

Beside him Caroline Doss snorted, "Yes this is going to be a big thing when it comes time to getting into colleges; Please explain why Zoo's are important."

Her friends giggled and the coach shot her a glare, "Ms. Doss, the repopulation of the worlds inhabitants could very well increase your chances of entrance into a college if you take up the cause."

He looked half ready to froth at the mouth as Mrs. McCreedy stepped forward. "Now why don't you all look around while we make a few last minute preparations inside." She gestured out to the park as the radio at her hip began to crackle.

Blinking the drops of her rain from his eyes Naruto turned taking the offered bag from Harper and slung it over his shoulder. "So what you wan't to look at first." He asked.

Harper slung a hand through his hair and winced, "look man, we've seen these animals a lot,, how about we just find somewhere dry and play a few hands?" Harper pulled a deck from his pocket and held it into the air.

Nodding Naruto started off, "Roos it is." He knew the guy was going to complain, its what he did however what he did worse was play cards. The first few hands were fine than he'd try and gamble and find some way to lure him in. Of course than he'd loose every bit of free cash trying to square himself. He never did, forcing Naruto to return the guys cash by slipping it into his pack, one of the girlie magazines he got his hands on or even back into his wallet when he felt he could chance the lift.

"C'mon man, its pouring!" Harper to the sky.

"There should be some at all the pens." He pointed to the overhang outside the chimps pen before heading around toward the Eastern enclosures. He could here Harper splashing along behind him as he passed the lion habitat, ahead of him the Coach was guiding a group of girls away from the zebra pen. The screech came again along with the battering of wings against the wind.

Shivers ran the length of Naruto's spine, he turned and threw himself at Harper taking them both from the path of the razor sharp beak that ripped through the overhang or the talons of gold that ripped at the earth where he'd once stood. Sparks flew in every direction scorching the ground upon which they touched. His ears rang, his vision shook, the world around him was muted.

"Everyone get into the buildings!" Coach Hedge yelled over the screaming girls, "Go!" He rushed toward Naruto his slugger hefted in one hand and the other had delved deep into his pocket. He grabbed Harper and slung him toward the crowd his eyes never leaving the enormous bird.

A pair of gloves landed on Naruto's leg as he sat up. "Put 'em on kid. This is going to get messy." Raising his elbow Hedge roared into the heavy wind. "C'mon you hulking piece of fried chicken! I'll murderlize you!"

Glancing at the gloves in his lap and at the bird Naruto slipped them on as it dove again. Scrambling to his feet he was just in time to dive out of the way as the bird struck some of the fencing and the ground once again, only this time Naruto watched as the image of lightning overlaid itself over the bird before it vanished. The wing struck coach sending him flying into the side of the building nearest them. Naruto thought it was the gift shop but the skewed lettering stopped him from being sure.

"Don't just stand there kid, shoot the damn thing!" Hedge yelled as he pushed his way from the rubble his pants gone revealing hairy legs and hooves where his feet should be. Glancing at his hands Naruto's eyes focused on the lettering around the bottom of the gloves. Aces one said and the other eights, Aces and eights the dead mans hand, blinking he looked back out at the coach who was miming pointing his finger and Naruto just did just that. The gloves flowed into his hand and a moment later he was holding twin revolvers with ivory handles and long gleaming barrels that Naruto had no problem recognizing. Two three fifty seven magnums, his favorite revolvers in all the first person shooters he had and leveled it at the eagle soaring its way down toward him.

Squeezing the trigger he jerked back as the gun flew up, it missed by a mile and dropped to the ground as the eagle soared passed him impacting the ground again. Rolling he brought the gun up again and fired two rounds the first grazed its tail feathers and the second dug deep into the body right beside right wing. With a grin he squeezed off a three more rounds each of which soared harmlessly by the falling flailing bird.

Scraping his way to his feet Naruto grit his teeth and raised the guns again, taking a deep breath he watched as it circled about, slower than before it screeched and flung itself into a dive right for him. His arms felt like they'd been lashed to the concrete with the worlds strongest tautest rubber-band for all they wanted to stay raised. Closer and closer it came but still he couldn't steady his hands so with a angered roar he rushed away from the bird guns held tight in his hands which trailed behind him skidding to a stop only after he felt the ground quaking. Slowly he turned, the eagle for thats what it was, a golden colored eagle the size of a bus its head cocked to the side, staring right back at him.

"Die you dirty drumstick!" Hedge howled as he dropped from the building beside it, his slugger replaced by a cash register of all things. His fall only lasted the better part of a few moments before he landed register first on the eagles head slamming it into the ground however that to only lasted but a moment. It raised itself up and craned its neck around to where Hedge was still wailing away with the register, several bills in his mouth as the rest fluttered toward the ground helped by the wind.

Seeing his chance Naruto raised both his arms and opened fire just as the eagle snapped the coach from its back and into its beak. Two bullets he couldn't tell which ripped their way into its chest and it exploded into a shower of golden dust slinging Naruto back a number of feet and into the railing of an enclosure. The last thing he heard was roaring than nothing.

The sewers stretched before him, lights pulsing along smaller pipes on the upper walls faster and faster. A sour stench, like that of four year old running shoes, three dozen rotten eggs and an uncleaned gym locker room mixed with the faded scent of a used lemon scented air freshener. The same place he'd spent night after night without fail. Taking a step he froze as an eagle as golden as the one he'd just blew to dust if smaller swept through the air toward him a trail of storm clouds following just behind it as a thundering of hooves rushing from behind him. Leaping to the side he found himself falling. Opening his mouth to scream he found his voice non existent.

Images flashed through the blackness as he fell, standing over a man with white hair, another with a younger version of him wearing an orange jumpsuit and a pair of goggled standing beside a sour looking boy, and a pink haired girl. One of a white haired man standing atop a giant toad who was smoking a pipe and a blonde woman with a huge bust flicking him in the forehead. The images passed in rapid succession, until there was an image of his mother of all people with chains of gold ripping their way out of her back. Than once more free falling into an abyss of darkness.

He landed in front of a wall of bars, a cage, an odd piece of paper placed where the should of been and a single red orange eye and white teeth faded into view in the back of the tank. It rumbled as it rose. Nine flowing tails flowed behind it before they began lashing about almost menacingly. "Naruto," a decidedly male voice came.

"You've got to... Dammit Nar... We...supposed to be... ners" like static the voice faded into nothingness. "You... wake." It snarled a moment later it slammed its way into the bars which suddenly lit up with purple light throwing back into the depths of his prison.

The floor began cracking about his feet before it dropped away leaving him falling into blackness. But not a blackness he'd ever felt before, there was something about it, almost malevolent, and old, older than nearly the earth itself. It scared him, anything that old with that kind of a feel was something to worry about. He began struggling as something began dragging him deeper into the pit.

Jerking forward he found himself in a room of white, a monitor to his left beeping at a rapid pace, his mother lay in a chair beside a dark window dozing. Naruto smiled ignoring the cool sweat that covered him, it wasn't often he got to the chance to see him mother so at peace. A soft pair of footsteps had him turning to find a nurse entering the room, tall rather flat faced, long slender legs and wore the ugliest mustard yellow scrubs Naruto had ever seen. She eyed him for a moment and strode over to the machines and lifted the apple computer below. She typed slowly, never once glancing up to notice Naruto's extending arm or reaching fingers and a moment later the machines had been turned off, the iv and monitor cables removed from his person."

He'd hardly made it two steps when the coach slid into the room. "Ms. Uzumaki!" He said grabbing her by the arm. "It's time we've got to get him and go!" Hedge said as his head turned on a swivel and caught Naruto standing there while the nurse turned at his entry.

"You best get back in bed young man!" She snapped as his mom wiped the sleep from her eyes and looked at the coach.

"Your from the camp aren't you?" She asked quietly and at his nod looked down at her hands before nodding. "How dod we get there?" She asked as she turned to look at Naruto and leapt to her feet and wrapped him in a hug.

Naruto smiled and wrapped his arms around her, the greatest mom ever, dropping everything she was doing for him every time. "I'm so glad you're alright sweets. So glad but we've got to go." She pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes and silently Naruto nodded.

Why he'd no idea and suddenly like a flash the events of the night before crashed through his mind like a freight train. "Mom what happened last night?" He asked

"Hem. Hem." the nurse cleared her throat causing everyone in the room to look at her. "I'll tell you what happened last night! You were struck by lightning! Now get back into bed its a miracle your still alive especially for a little thief like you." She snapped.

His mother was on her like white on rice at that comment. "I'll have you no he took nothing! The whole place had multiple lightning strikes including the building that register was in you've no proof that he was even near the damn thing so if you don't back off you pancake faced shrew I'll take my foot and shove it right up that loose ass of your and out that even looser mouth." She breathed out a moment later and swiped a few stray stands of hair back behind her ear as she took in the entire room. Everyone especially the nurse stared at her with open mouthed.

Naruto excluded. He just grinned all the wider before turning to the coach. "Hey coach you said we gotta go right?" The coach nodded. "Than I gotta say man I need pants in a major way. Believe it!" He and his mother both winced at that.

His mother didn't even let it break her stride, instead she caught the nurses eye and cleared her throat. "You heard him get him his clothes!"

The nurse rushed from the room as if she were being chased by the hounds of hell. She than turned back to Naruto a unhappy expression on her face. "Look baby, I've got some bad news for you, Cedar Heights despite everything," She sighed and looked away.

Looking down he nodded, it wasn't the first time. He supposed he was being a fool how could he expect this time to be any different? But he'd tried so hard, so hard just to be good and not cause any waves like the last time. The thought did bring a small smile to his face, it was right when the stupid law was trying to ban tatter tots and he incited a mob that had the entire kitchen staff running back into the kitchen and dropping strainers and pots onto their heads like they were army helmets. That he'd deserved. Still his grades weren't the greatest but he was one of the top young gymnasts in the world! Thats why they wanted him in the first place! He really thought it was going to be different this time around.

He couldn't bring himself to look to his mom, how could he she was an expert in viticulture and here he was her delinquent son ruining everything she'd spent her life building! Not to mention all the money she put into these schools that he never seemed to make it passed a year in.

Her hand found its way to his chin and the next thing he knew he was looking into a pair of green eyes, the kindest eyes in the world and they spoke of nothing but love. "It'll be fine, we'll just have to try again." She said with a small watery smile. Silently he nodded vowing not to get kicked from the next school that accepted him, he wouldn't let her down again. He wouldn't.

"This is nice an all but we've got to go!" The coach said looking about almost wildly as he pulled a familiar pair of gloves from his pocket and tossed them towards Naruto. "Put them on, I'll explain later." He snapped.

Biting his tongue Naruto nodded and slipped them on even as he moved off of the bed wincing as his feet met the cool hospital linoleum floor. He knew the coach, well enough to know the tone that spoke of just how serious he was.

This is nice an all but we've got to go!" The coach said looking about almost wildly as he pulled a familiar pair of gloves from his pocket and tossed them towards Naruto. "Put them on, I'll explain later." He snapped.

Biting his tongue Naruto nodded and slipped them on even as he moved off of the bed wincing as his feet met the cool hospital linoleum floor. He knew the coach, well enough to know the tone that spoke of just how serious he was. Flexing his hand he found the weight of the gun filled the palm of his hand before vanishing again as the nurse walked in with a heavily charred set of clothes.

"Here." She snapped shoving the clothes on to the bed, "however before you can go your going to have to sign a AMA form." She said looking to his mother. Rolling his eyes Naruto pulled the gown off ignoring the amount of attention he was getting form the blushing nurse. He'd just gotten his pants on when it felt as if a spear had been plunged deep into his head.

"He Ma, do you have any.." She cut him off by extending a bottle of the violent green liquid which he plucked, uncapped and took a long draft in a well practiced maneuver. "Now, we can go." he flung on his jacket and wiped his mouth.

Hedge rolled his eyes and gestured toward the door, "I'm glad you took your time kid but lets go!" He strode out of the room and Naruto guided his mother out ignoring the squawking of the nurse. "I have a ferry waiting down in the harbor."

"You can't leave until you sign a AMA!" The Nurse said as she went around them and stood in front of hedge her hands on her hips. Lights behind him began to shatter and scrapping issued along the walls.

Naruto turned and found himself looking at two younger women who grinned viscously, they were dressed as nurses little white hats on their heads and everything. One held a clipboard in their hands. "She's right you know, you can't leave. Hmm, Ms. Paulson looks like she's got an aneurism, discharged tomorrow. Dies in three months, thirteen days, seven hours and twenty-two seconds." She hummed, "Robbery gone wrong."

"Not now Orphe, we've other matters." She cocked her head, "Those bikers save the little girl, how nice." She shook her head, "anyway I'm sorry folks, but the fact of the matter is you've taken something you shouldn't have." Her eyes glowed brighter and she cocked her head again. "No, you haven't, not yet at least." Than she frowned, "Lyco, he's his son."

The one called Lyco turned to Naruto with a frown and he edged backward as her arm shifted into a hammer. "It seems so Orphe. It seems we've payback and to be honest I'm no longer sorry." She shrugged. "22, 17, 08, 43 09, Tomorrow's winning lottery numbers." She grinned, "you hear that! We'll rebuild our kingdom!" Lyco grinned.

Orphe nodded, "Money and revenge." Her arms shifted into long wickedly curved blades and she rushed forward.

"Run!" Hedge yelled, he picked up an I.V. stand and rushed the two.

Raising his hands Naruto gripped the guns and pointed them at the two and was about to open fire when his mother grabbed his arm. "We've got to go!" Gritting his teeth Naruto was about to ignore her when she spoked again. "Listen to your coach."

Growling he opened his hands and allowed his mother to rush him toward the clogged stairs, apparently the hospital staff had the same idea. "You all need to stop, we need to get the patients out!" One of the doctors yelled forcing much of the rushing nurses to stop.

A dark haired curly headed woman, held on finger up into the air while keeping the other firmly held against her hip. "Uh-uh, I aint getten paid enough to go back into a room filled with psychos running around with knives and a stick of dynamite duck-taped to a stick! Uh-UUUH!" She turned and started down the stairs a number of the other nurses following her once more clogging the stairs and Naruto gritted his teeth. One of them may have been able to get through but not the both of them. Not together at any rate.

The gloves shifted as he turned to face the door, "Go, I'll meet you down there." He said. Shooting her s smile before she could respond he gave her a hug, there was no hiding the panic in her eyes but she nodded as she bit her lip. Though she seemed to be ready to change her mind, "I'll meet you down there okay?" He said.

"Be safe." She pushed her way down into the crowd.

With a deep breath Naruto kicked the door in and froze, not five paces away stood both Orphe and Lyco their eyes glowed a brilliant gold as each held a sword crossing a slumped over unconscious Hedges neck. "See you stupid goat. I told you he'd come back." Orphe said.

Lyco snorted, "He's asleep sister, we knocked him unconscious, don't you remember."

Orphe looked thoughtful before nodding, "I did, didn't I? Okay little one, just surrender and we'll make your death quick." She said in a soothing manner her eyes glowed and she shook her head. "Or not apparently, you've my apologies for lying, its not something I appreciate in a person and I refuse to lie given the choice. So, your death will be quite painful even if you surrender." She shrugged.

"Orphe you can't tell him that or he wont come peacefully," Her eyes glowed slightly dimmer than her sisters and she shook her head. "Never mind he wont be coming willingly, stupid half bloods."

"Would you all shut up!" Naruto roared and squeezed off a few rounds and the two held stock still their eyes aglow as the bullets passed harmlessly passed them blasting several holes in the walls. He fought down the urge to blush as they began laughing at him. Rushing toward them he saw their eyes widen and both leapt back and away leaving the coach to slump to the floor and he skidded to a stop.

"Dammit Orphe! You moved to soon!" Lyco snapped at her sister with a stomp of her foot.

Orphe glared at her sister, "I moved to soon? You moved before I did! I was following your lead like I always do Lyco!" Her swords shifted back into arms so she could just point at her sister accusingly.

Naruto stared at the two for a moment as they continued their bickering and opened his hands letting the guns revert into gloves as he hefted the coaches weight onto his shoulder and hauled himself back the way he came with his enemies none the wiser.

"Dammit coach you've got a lot of explaining to do!" He roared as he reached the stairs where nurses were fighting gurneys down the stairs loaded with patients. Without breaking stride he launched himself over the railing his feet catching on the railing of the stairs a floor down before rebounding downward again and again until he reached the bottom and ignoring the looks he was getting from the crowd he pushed his way out the doors where red and blue lights spun and sirens roared. To his left he could see his mother sitting in the drivers side of their Fiot.

"Food," The coach moaned.

Throwing the door open he shoved the coach into the back seat and dropped into the passenger seat just a moment later. The car was in motion within a second and curving its way down toward the docks.

"Mom whats going on, why do these" he waved his hands about showing off the gloves, "Keep turning into guns and who were those girls!"

"Daughters of Dion and Amphithea. We've just got to get you to the camp you'll be safe there."

Naruto looked at her as if she'd grown a second head. "Dion who and what camp? Whats going on?" The bay was growing as they approached and for some reason Naruto couldn't shake the edgy feeling that was welling in his chest.

"Honey, I'm sorry I didn't want you to find out this way but were out of time. There's so much you need to know." Suddenly she pressed her foot down on the accelerator bypassing the next three cars going down the road.

"Look we don't have time. Not now, they're no doubt following us." Hedge said and Naruto jumped a gun already forming in his hand before he could stop it.. "You can drop me at any corner, I'll hold them off." He grunted as he leaned forward between the two seats.

His mother pressed harder down on the accelerator as she turned to face the coach, "You're supposed be protecting him! I'm not letting your out just you can get yourself killed. Suicidal satyr." She snapped as she turned back toward the front of the car.

"Satyr?" Naruto asked he looked into the back seat only to get a furry leg and a cloven hoof shoved in his face.

"Yeah, satyr you got a problem with that." Naruto said nothing, what could he say to what the coach found to be a touchy subject. They rode in silence, with Naruto glaring out the window his arms crossed. They hadn't bothered to answer any of this questions, he was being taken to a camp he'd never even heard of and there were crazy chicks, hot crazy chicks maybe but crazy chicks nonetheless and oh yeah his coach for the better part of the last year had the lower half of a goat! He figured he had the right to be a little on the pissed side.

They pulled to a stop just a few minutes later at the edge of the port entry. "Which way?" His mother asked.

"Your looking for the King of Thebes ferry it should be at the end of the port." The Coach said pointing off to left. She nodded but Naruto was hardly paying attention, in the side mirror on a motorcycle with a side car was the sisters trailing close behind.

"You know this is ridiculous!" Naruto snapped. "What is going on?"

His mother glanced back at the Coach and than she looked in the rear view finally she sighed. "Look sweets, they'll explain everything at the camp okay? Right now we don't have the time." She pressed the pedal to the floor and sped around the corner the sisters right on their heels. She skid up to the boats dock. "Now everyone out." She snapped even as she flung her own door open.

They'd hardly reached the gangplank when the cycle pulled up beside them. "It's time kiddo." Orphe said her arms into blades again as she slipped off the cycle and cocked her head to the side eyes aglow. "No its not. How annoying." Her arms shifted back and leaned against the bike, "We have to wait." She snapped toward her sister.

Naruto blinked at them and walked up the gangway without ever looking away from them. "Get us going Vinnie!" Hedge yelled.

A tall thin man, sandy blonde hair, and blue eyes walked out on to the deck and glanced over the side before he turned pale. "Coach you said this was a routine transport!" He said and pointed to the two on the docks glaring up at him. "Those aren't part of a normal TRANSPORT!" From his side he pulled a knife that stretched into a cutlass.

"They're not attacking are they? Now get your rear in gear and go!" Hedge yelled back, going so far as to press his forehead against the taller mans and glared until he moved back and sighed.

"Fine." He threw his hands up into the air, "Fine

-End-

There we go, this is the one I've been talking about. My Naruto and PJatO cross. Guess who his parent is I dare you. And that grand immortal word, that which sets all authors aquiver, Review.

Special note: please take a look at the polls on my profile, I'd appreciate it.

With Regards

Citizen Seven


	2. Chapter 2

A True Seed

By Citizen Seven

Chapter Two

The shore was in sight, it was a long coast that butted directly up to a forested area that led up a hill. The ferry was puttering along with the slightest problem but none of this mattered to Naruto, he leaned against the railing at the stern of the ship, not looking further out into the ocean where the choppy waters became angry waves or the storms lightning struck again and again but at the small speed boat that trailed them relentlessly. The sisters never attempted to catch them, just followed along as if waiting. What they were waiting for though he wouldn't bother even hazarding a guess, shrugging he turned around as soft steps led there way up to him.

It was Vinnie he leaned against the railing beside Naruto looking out toward the sisters. "These two are odd ones. Never seen monsters quite like these." He said with a smile.

"Monsters?" Naruto sighed, sure they were trying to kill him and all but using that particular word to describe them sent something inside of Naruto haywire.

The man began to laugh one of his hands beating against the rail. "Of course they never bothered to explain, bet they expect you to wait until you get to camp. Look kid your the son of one of the greek gods." At Naruto's confused looked he shifted, "okay follow along here kid. You're dyslexic and have ADHD right?"

Naruto nodded looking at the man. The two things he found to be his greatest weaknesses and hadn't told anyone and neither would his mother. So how did Vinnie know?

"Don't look to surprised, all of us have the same package deal its one of the first indicators of a half blood. A half blood is a child of a mortal man or woman and one of the gods. Me hermes is my pops." Rolling his neck he moaned in pleasure as a series of pops rippled through the air.

Naruto blinked, greek gods. He was about to tell the man to shove the hashish somewhere where the sun doesn't shine when the giant golden eagle flashed through his mind and he froze. His guns to and the girls arms.

Vinnie's smile widened further, "yeah now your getting it. The chicks back there some kind of monster but hey a lot more of the baddies have been out and about since olympus has descended into chaos." From his pocket he pulled a beer and cracked it open on the railing. "Yeah it's cool right?" He chuckled, "now the bad news, I can't take you to shore, sorry kid I don't feel like dealing with those two, honeys or not." He gave a half shrug and a crooked smile before pushing away from the railing.

"Sorry kid but in a minute your on the raft and I'm out of here." He called over his shoulder and walked away with a swagger in his step and Naruto turned to face the sisters with a grimace. Raising a hand he raised his hands and dropped them before the guns could even form. The only monsters he'd ever heard of from the greek myths was the hydra and cerberus, these were girls not some hideous monsters out to eat his flesh.

Growling he stalked toward the side where his mother and the coach grumbling as he was were already loading themselves into the lift raft. Climbing over the railing he dropped into the orange raft and the coach grabbed his shoulder. "Look kid before we hit the water you should shoot them." He pointed at the sisters.

"Look I don't know whats going on whether I'm a demigod or not but freaky as those girls are they aren't monsters." He snapped

The color drained from his mothers face and crimson flooded the coaches. "That weasel! The whole point of the orientation film is so that nothings left out!" He reached into the air and shot the finger in the general direction of the helm.

"Look kid," he smiled, "knowing what you are, it increases your scent, and I can already smell it now that I'm paying attention but you have to trust me those girls are monsters out to kill you." He pointed back at them, "kill your mother and me! Now shoot them!"

The guns were in his hands even before he could twitch in response to the coaches words and raising the guns and froze. He could see their faces just staring toward him heads cocked to the side. Their boats engine revved and shot toward them. Naruto fired, the bullet wasn't nearly as wild as the others, it broke through the left light as the girls jerked to the side in surprise,, his next shot punched a hole in the hull just above the waterline.

"This is no good!" He snapped lowering the guns to his side as they splashed down into the water. He felt like screaming, no amount of aiming would get the bullet where he wanted it to go! They never sat in focus. He was actually about to fire a few rounds when a hand caught on to his wrist and he found himself looking into his mothers eyes. Behind her the coach tugged on the string a few times before the motor rumbled to life.

She pulled him arm into the air aiming the gun out into the open ocean far and away from the girls. "Just breathe sweets, you know you do everything better in motion." She brought his arm around in fast forward, his neck snapped as he turned to look the way his gun was facing and found Orphe and Lyco in perfect clarity.

"Now try again." She said, Naruto nodded.

Point away he brought the gun around using the boats sudden forward momentum to speed his movement, swiveling his head he fire three shots each veering toward Orphe with unerring accuracy she eyes aglow she turned to her sister and said something before the slugs drilled their way into her side and into her head she fell into golden ash.

"Nice shot kid!" The coach cheered before looking downcast. "Uh oh." He pointed back behind them. The speed boat surged toward them faster than before and Lyco, boy did she look furious.

She pulled up beside them just a dozen yards from the shore her arm shifting into that into a long handled hammer of stone. "You! Just like your father! I'm going to kill you!" She yelled as Naruto found himself frozen in shock and the hammer descended toward him.

A long steel shaft struck the incoming arm knocking it away. "You can't freeze now kid!" Hedge yelled. Shaking himself he started to bring up his gun but to late as Lyco's other hand transformed into a spike and she plunged it into the side of the raft with a loud popping sound followed quickly by the unmistakable hissing of expelling air. Naruto slipped forward and into the water the gun vanishing as struggled toward the surface. He'd hardly a gulp of air and got a glimpse of his mother before he was pulled back under as a vice like hand gripped his ankle and dragged him deeper into the depths.

Peering into the darkness he found Lyco, made of solid stone her eyes glowing relentlessly amongst the unyielding darkness. Dropping his heel into her head he grunted as her head hardly jerked back even with all the force he could muster. Flexing his hands he began squeezing the triggers just as the gun finished forming in his hands each round burying themselves into part of her body sending rock shattering into the water. Opening her mouth Naruto grit his teeth at the sound of rock scraping against rock even as the pressure on his ankle tightened until he felt a pop and than a crack.

Bubbles flew from his mouth as he screamed and pulled the trigger again and again only to find he didn't have the ammo. In fact he had none. Leaning forward he jerked his leg wincing in pain even as he bashed the but of his pistol into her head creating a huge crack in her face and jarring him loose from her grasp.

He scrambled, using the three limps he had as his lungs burned, the guns reverting to gloves as he continued on and spewed a stream of bubbles. He could see the moonlight dancing across the surface of the water even as the darkness encroached upon his sight and he stopped. Water flooded his mouth as he spilled the last of the breathe held held in his chest out into the water.

He ceased struggling even as he felt the cool wind tear through his windbreaker he couldn't even bring himself to move. He could hardly feel the hand that latched on to him no the freezing sand he was hauled on.

"Hold on kiddo! You've gotta breathe." The coach snapped as Naruto felt a pair of hands began pressing down on his chest again and again, leaning forward he gasped for air and cracked his head against the coaches and spewed water across his front. Scrabbling backwards coughing he looked up as a rack jabbed into his arm. His mother and the coach stood over him, she chewed on her lip as he rubbed his forehead.

"You get her kid?" The coach asked as he crouched down beside him. "It's just up the hill, we're almost there. I gotta know if you got her though, your mom can't go much further." Hedge said.

Shaking his head Naruto glanced at the water, "I don't know, I ran out of bullets. So I cracked her in the head."

The coach stood with a grin, "a man after my own heart!" He clapped his hands together as Naruto leaned forward.

"Wait." Naruto looked at his mother the coaches words finally making their way into his mind. She looked away, "what makes you think I'm going to leave you behind." He snapped surging to his feet and howled in pain as he fell forward into the coach.

His mother was at his side in an instant his arm around her shoulder as she clutched his side. "Look honey, It's not what I wanted I never wanted you away from me, but better you safe. Its the only way!" She quietly said. "The monsters, they won't bother with me. They want you."

Naruto bit his lip and looked away. He'd been a pain he knew it, with having to transfer schools every year, the decline of her business, the dyslexia and ADHD. Not to mention all the accidents that happened around him.

He nodded with a wane smile, sure she loved him he didn't have a doubt about it but even love had its limits didn't it? "I get it ma,"

Tears streamed down her face as she looked at him, "Oh baby." She stopped as a sloshing erupted from the water behind them. Lyco her face still cracked lunged forward, he tried to push his mother out of the way. He failed.

Lyco dragged his mother away her arm shifting into a long blade held firmly to his mothers stomach. "I've seen how this ends Demigod. Your mother will bleed, and you-"

Naruto's hand shot up the gun in his hand out and away form them. "I get my mother and you die." He said.

"Please, you're out of bullets and even if you weren't you're standing on one leg. Even if you were able to shoot me you'd miss as I'd see it coming you'll fall and I'll end her before ending you." Her eyes lit up and she smiled nastily, "No, you'll let me gut you so she wont come to harm."

The gun shook in his hand, before it slowly lowered and he charged, his mother vanished in that moment in a flurry of golden motes of light and Naruto roared. He brought the gun up and fired knowing there would be at least one bullet in the chamber. There was. The round buried itself in her shoulder sending shards of rock flying everywhere. Throwing the gun away he leapt on top of Lyco smashing his hands into her face again and again before grabbing what remained of her cracked and fractured blade of an arm and began slamming it down in to her throat.

"You killed her!" He roared even as she fell away into gold dust, the only thing left behind was the bladed arm he'd shoved into her. He slammed his fist into the sand where the impression of Lyco's head remained. "Ma." he said taking up a fistful of the sand he struggled to stand pushing away from the coaches hand as he leveled a glare at the man.

He shoved eights into the shorter mans face, "I don't know much about this greek stuff, but I know there's an underworld, where is it. I'm going for my mother." He snapped

The coach didn't flinch instead he knocked the gun away and pushed Naruto back to the ground. "Listen kid you want to try an walk on that busted leg of yours? Be my guest but if you come with me I'll get you fixed up and than I'll help you break into the underworld if you want, now man the hell up!" He growled his red face almost glowing in the moonlight. "Now stop your blubbering."

Naruto said nothing instead he took the mans offered hand absently noted he wore both of his gloves despite throwing the gun away and slung his arms over the shorter mans shoulder until he found himself thrown over the horned mans shoulder. "Good now we just gotta make it up the hill." He grunted

He winced as he was jostled but said nothing as the coach trudged his way up off the beach and into the forest. The sounds of battle echoed through the forest along with huge amounts of roaring moos' of all things.

"Sounds like were not the only arrivals tonight." The coach chuckled. "I'd say we go knock some heads but with your ankle."

"Just go." he snapped gripping his hands and readying aces and eights as the coach doubled his pace. They reach the battle ground in moments, just in time to see a black haired boy jab a horn in to the Minotaur of all things. Naruto rolled his eyes and couldn't stop himself from spouting the first thing that came to mind. "That's what I call a monster."

The coach snorted from beneath him, "Pasiphaes son is no different from the daughters of Dion. Monsters come in every shape and size, theres even a plant that monster that feeds on your brain, though its faded." The coach said as a number of figures came rushing over the hill led by a centaur and a young blond girl who immediately rushed to the downed kids side.

Sitting up she whistled bringing a pair of boys running down the hill a stretcher held between them. "He could use some ambrosia and nectar." She said as she stepped away.

"How about we get another stretcher over here!" Coach yelled as he hopped and Naruto grunted as his ankle jostled about. "I don't know... now?"

The centaur rushed toward them and pulled Naruto from the coaches shoulders and looked over him at hedge. "Hedge." He spoke cooly, "who might we have here?" He asked finally turning his attention to Naruto.

"Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto snapped his fingers twitching at his sides.

"Naruto here," he patted Naruto on the shoulder, "ran aground of Mr. D's father's favorite bird you know the one he feeds liver to everyday."

Chiron's eyes widened and he nodded, "indeed.." He looked back to Naruto for a moment before gazing back at Hedge. "Well lets get him to the Big House."

He started to move curving around through the tree's until he was running back up the hill until the world blurred about them and the next thing he knew the was being carted up the stairs of an old victorian house.

Naruto found himself lowered onto a hard table like bed, across from him lay the black haired boy. The blond girl slipping small squares of something into his mouth before turning to look at him. Lifting the plate she made her way over to him and lowered herself onto a nearby stool.

"Annabeth Chase, meet Naruto Uzumaki." Chiron said and Naruto nodded to the girl and gasped as a pair of hands pulled at his ankle. Jerking it back he lifted himself and glared at the horse man.

Sitting up he swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Don't do that again." He warned.

"Easy young hero, I am Chiron trainer of hero and Camp Director here at Half-blood hill." The Centaur said stepping forward his hand extending to meet Naruto's own. "Annabeth one square should do with only a half a glass of Nectar."

She'd hardly nodded when he smiled and turning tail walked back the way he'd come. "You should be kinder to Chiron. He looks out for us." Annabeth said as she extended a half glass of a golden liquid.

Taking a sip Naruto was about to snap out a harsh reply when the taste of his mother's strawberry cobbler and blackberry pie filled his mouth and his eyes lit up in glee. He managed to finish the glass a few seconds later and extended the glass. "Can I get some more?"

She shook her head, "Can't, the food and drink of the gods, we can have some but to much," she gave a wry smile, "It wouldn't be a pretty thing your atoms being set on fire."

Figured, but Naruto nodded none the less, death would get him no closer to his goal, "So I don't suppose you can tell me who my dad is."

Again she shook her head, "You're on a roll aren't you. Until your dad claims you we wont know who he is." She held up her hand forestalling his next question. "Before you ask he could never claim you or can do it.

"Hows about right now Anniebell, or rather once he's among the others to do so properly." A pudgy man clad in a leopard print shirt and baja shorts. "Anyway if you're wondering who will claim him don't damage your pretty little head about it. That would be me."

His form changed from the overgrown cherub that he looked like into a tall rather lean effeminate man with long golden hair. It was a face Naruto knew all to well, it was on every website he looked at that involved the games he'd been getting for years. Peering closer at the man he could see the resemblance, the golden locks he had were darker sure but the angle of his jaw the way he held himself, and the smile, he saw it in every one of the photos of he and his mom that she kept on the mantle in the family room.

"Dad." Naruto whispered, he pushed himself from the bed/table not even noticing that he felt no pain from his ankle what so ever. The older man nodded and opened his arms with a small smile on his face. Naruto blinked, he expected him to walk up and give him a hug? This was the man that walked away from his mother before he'd ever been born, who he'd never knew growing up or when he was forced to move from school to school. He closed the gap between them in two steps and drawing back plowed his fist into the mans stomach causing him to cough and double over in slight surprise before raising back up to stand at his full height.

"How dare you! I am-"

Naruto cut him off, "the man who left my mother and me. What didn't want to be burdened by me? Was I an unwelcome surprise? What about mom? You leave her while she was sleeping? Huh?" He roared at the god in front of him and the next thing he knew he was wrapped in the mans arms. He struggled but his father held firm.

"I never wanted to leave. Such are the ancient rules, I did all I could to keep close, I have copies of each and every one of your meets and I sent tokens as often as i thought I could get away with. I'm sorry about your mother, truly a wonderful woman."

"Oh. My. God." Annabeth held her hand to her mouth as both Naruto and Dionysus looked to her having forgotten her presence. She shrank underneath their looks and looked away.

Dionysus stepped away from Naruto and glared at the girl. "Ms. Chase, claim what you wish but you'll find I've little patience for a hero's drivel now run along and inform Chiron along with Castor." She nodded and started for the door.

"Oh and Ms. Chase." She stopped at the door looking back at him, "tell no one else." She nodded nervously before slipping out the door.

Naruto waited as the man walked across the room and closed the door. A thousand questions flashed through his mind and before his father could turn around he awkwardly asked. "So, your a god."

The man burst out laughing a full blown belly rumbling laugh as he turned to face him. "Your mother asked the same question." He chortled a bit more before pushing himself from the wall and drawing himself up looking every bit the god he claimed to be. "I am Dionysus the twice born son of Zeus, god of the wild vine, wine, theatre and games. I hold one of the twelve seats of the olympians. And I am your father."

Games the word had a special meaning to Naruto, "you mean the only reason I'm good at Gymnastics is because your my father?" The thought really upset Naruto, he trained hard for his skill, sure he was talented to begin with but talent alone wont get any competitor far if he didn't train. To think he excelled merely because his father was the god of that domain.

Dionysus shook his head, "that is something that may have come in part from me, but you cultivated the trait and made it your own. Now I am sorry to say, but I do have to return to my duties." He clasped Naruto on the shoulder and knelt down just enough to look him in the eyes. "You're not without family here Naruto. Castor should be waiting when you walk out of the big house, he'll show you around." He stood and started walking away, out the door Annabeth had previously used before freezing in the door frame.

"Feel free to show them that just because I am a god of the vine does not mean my children are not every bit the warriors they themselves think they are."

Naruto's mind was awhile, he felt like he was being pulled and torn in every directions, so lost in thought was he, he didn't even notice that he'd walked from the house, or even the chilled air that struck him. He hardly noticed the blur that struck him in the chest until he found himself needing to brace against one of the columns on the bigs houses porch or risk toppling over.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked pushing the other boy away, he was pudgy, kind of like his father before he'd changed into the more lean form he had and a feeling of dread filled the bottom of his stomach. His father had mentioned he wasn't without family here but the dark haired butterball in front of him wasn't what he'd been expecting. "Your my brother aren't you?"

The other boy nodded, "I'm Castor son of Dionysus, it's nice to meet you man." He stuck out his hand. Wearily Naruto took the hand and shook it.

Castor didn't seem taken aback in the least by Naruto's less than enthusiastic greeting, "Anyway walk with me. Typically we do this in the day but I figure why not, we've time before curfew." He started walking Naruto trudging along after him until they stood in the center of a ring of logs.

"Now that way." He pointed down toward their left, is the forested area where sometimes people bring monsters in to hunt, its also near the lake and the archery area. To get there you pass through the volleyball courts, on your right is the lava wall, further out is the garden where we grow the strawberry's your should be able to help with that. Now for the cabins."

He pointed to the two largest cabins in front of them, the one on the left looked like a mausoleum of marble with two bronze doors the second a more graceful copy of the first the others spread out from there leaving only the silver glowing building to catch Naruto's eye. Cabins didn't really work at least not in Naruto's opinion and when he pointed it out Castor just shrugged. "They look the way the Gods wanted them. Anyway the big ones are Zeus and Hera's though Hera being the goddess of Marriage doesn't have any half blooded kids she leaves that to the king. Our is over this way."

He lead them to the right where a simpler cabin stood its walls and roof decorated with grape vines. "This ones ours." Castor said pushing open a pair of thick wooden doors showing off the softly lit interior. Inside the walls were decorated with scenes of roving tigers, panthers and leopards all of whom moved about as they pleased. A large series of T.V.'s sat in front of some of them along with several arcade games including, mortal kombat and pac man and in front of the largest wall where four interconnected screens showed off the legend of zelda's link running about controlled by an exact copy of Castor his tongue between his teeth and chips decorating the floor around him.

"Castor! I just killed Ganon with a deku stick!" He crowed without looking over toward them.

Castor smiled. "Good for you Pol but you should pause and meet the newest addition to our Cabin. Naruto this is my brother Pollux" The game froze in an instant, the cherub like face of Castor's twin turning to look at Naruto with almost robotic motions.

"Dude." He breathed, he was on his feet in moments walking around Naruto as if trying to find something, a moment later he began prodding Naruto even going so far as to spread his eye wide open before he turned to his brother. "Where's his twin?" He asked jerking his head toward Naruto.

Naruto found his eye twitching, "why would I have a twin?" He snapped.

"Duh, your the son of the twice born god, you should be twice born just like us." Pollux said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Naruto shrugged, "no twin, never had a twin, don't want a twin. I'm awesome enough without a copy." He moved further into the room dropping into one of the plush chairs and laying his head back as he did before jerking forward and pulling up his pant leg to look down towards his ankle. Slowly he rotated it noting there was no pain, there wasn't even the click he'd gotten from breaking it before when he didn't stick the landing quite as well as he would have liked. "Okay that stuff is awesome." He bit his tongue to stop himself from crying out his catchphrase.

"The food and drink of the gods will heal us of just about anything." Castor said before turning to his brother. "He's probably twice born in some other way. So just relax."

With a yawn Naruto rubbed his eyes than glanced about the room, there were no beds, though there was a kitchenette along with a large fridge in the back corner. "Where's the beds?" He asked.

"Beds are in the back room but most of the time we just sleep in the chairs that Father gifted us they're more comfortable. You've got yours now it wasn't here when I left." Castor said pointing at the back of the couch which had Naruto's name stitched into the fabric in orange and purple lettering.

He nodded and giving the two a wave turned on to the couch and closed his eyes. So many things had happened in the last twenty four hours Naruto's mind was spinning. The giant golden eagle, the gloves that turned into guns, satyrs, gods, demi-gods, magical drinks that would light his atoms on fire and his mother's death. None of those things should be but they were and what frightened Naruto wasn't the fact that the events happened but the fact that he already accepted it. His mother just died and he wasn't even freaking out, no he was just angry, even if she didn't want him anymore because of how dangerous he was to be around.

She was right, I couldn't protect her anyway. He thought just before he fell into the world of dreams.

The next morning came and Naruto woke as the cabin was filled with a massive roar, he rolled to his feet Aces and Eights in his hands pointing about the room frantically looking for a monster when he found all the big cats looking at him along with the stretching Castor and Pollux. Pollux began to laugh and Castor elbowed his brother. "Laugh if you want Pol but get a look at his hardware."

It stopped Pollux cold as he gazed as the long barrels on of which was pointed at him and slowly he raised his hands. "Easy bro, it was just the big cats giving us our wake up call, it's time for breakfast. Afterward we head out into the strawberry fields, you can come if you'd like."

Breathing out Naruto lowered his guns and craning his neck to the right cracked it letting out a series of pops. "We'll see." He said with a smile and an embarrassed laugh.

"Okay line up." Castor moved in front of the door Pollux moving up behind him and nodding Naruto fell into step behind them. "We're cabin twelve, so we'll be sitting at table twelve in the Pavilion. Father doesn't sit with us so don't be surprised if he doesn't." He added before pushing the doors open.

The crisp morning air hit him like a freight train and he shivered as they trooped out of the cabin. Castor lead the way into the Pavilion in silence and strode right up to the head table. He bowed to his father and Naruto made a similar bow a moment later and when he looked up he found the god smiling. "It seems you've rested well than?"

Naruto nodded. "Good, you should get your fill, the other campers aren't up to caring about anyones stomach but their own." He waved them away and Naruto fell into step behind Pollux again stopping as his father called after him. "Oh and Naruto, you wont find any ramen up there, try the ham steak and eggs."

Naruto winced but nodded again. How the man knew he didn't eat much in the way of breakfast unless it was his favorite food he didn't know but it proved his father wasn't lying about watching over him. He gathered the Ham and a few eggs sunny-side up of course and was about to move on when Pollux dropped some fruit on to his plate as well. He didn't notice the small mountain of food that was being added to his plate, instead his focus was on Castor who stood before a bowl filled with fire. He bowed his head and scraped a generous portion of his food into the fire before moving to sit at table twelve, the one closest to the head table.

"Why'd he throw his food in the fire?" Naruto asked as both he and Pollux moved to stand in front of the small blaze.

Pollux stepped up to it, "It's an offering to the gods, they like the smell." He scraped as much as his brother into the fire and mumbled "Dionysus," before stepping to the side and allowing Naruto to move up to it.

He scrapped a few of his eggs, some toast and fruit into the bowl and watched as they burnt up instantly. "Dionysus." He muttered like his brother before him and noticed the strong smell of the Strawberry pie and Blackberry cobbler wafting up. A moment later he scraped a bit more in.

"To the gods." The fire danced even more merrily at his word growing taller and brighter filling the entire pavilion with the smell of the deserts before he stepped back where Pollux stared at him open mouthed. He didn't close his mouth until Naruto reached over and closed it with an audible 'snap' when they reached their table.

He hardly taken a bite of his eggs before looking around the Pavilion, only a few of the tables were filled, but not many. Tall blondes sat at one table, arrows strapped to a number of their backs and they were staring at him like Pollux had. In pure surprise.

"Apollos kids, great with medicines, some of them can even heal, and archery but don't listen to their poetry unless its Ariana. The rest of it is in Haiku." Castor said before pointing toward the next table. One filled with some of the most beautiful girls Naruto had ever seen, they saw him looking and turned to one another before beginning to giggle amongst themselves. "Aphrodite cabin, spend their time preening, don't do much else, be careful some of them can charm speak."

"Charm speak?" Naruto asked cutting him off.

Pollux answered for his brother in a low glowing grunt. "Mind control, makes you think your the most important person in the world and you want to give them whatever they want. Trust me on this, charm speak is a pain in the ass."

Naruto grunted his agreement. Healing sounded pretty cool but mind control seriously? How did that pop up in people so vain? "What about them?" He asked nodding to where a small company was trooping in.

"Cabin eleven, Hermes kids, well not all of them, those unclaimed go there to. I hear they've got people sleeping on the floor of their cabin. Anyway, thieves, quick witted but Luke keeps them pretty well in line." Castor said pointing to a youth with a scar long and thin beneath his left eye.

"Mr. D." Luke said after spotting Naruto sitting at table twelve. "I haven't heard of you claiming another son. Shouldn't he be in Cabin eleven?" He spoke lightly and civilly but something about his words made Naruto wonder, after all why should Luke care where he stayed?

"Mr. Callum I don't need to be told by one of my campers where a child should stay." He snapped before clicking his fingers together creating a purple glow above Naruto's head which formed into two big cats and a small canine figure standing around a staff tipped with a pinecone. "However does that satisfy your much needed desire for rules?"

Chiron stood raising his hands, "All hail Naruto, son of Dionysus God of the Wild Vine, the twice born, madness maker, game keeper and Master of Lions."

Everyone in the hall moved to their knee's. "Hail!" they cried before turning to one another and speaking in hushed tones.

Naruto wasn't paying any attention to them though it was only for a second but the sneer on Luke's face was visible enough Naruto could see. "I don't like him." Naruto said turning back to his brothers. They shrugged.

"Can't like everyone. Now finish your food." Castor shoved the half empty plate in front of Naruto. Rolling his eyes Naruto bit back a retort and taking one more bite he pushed the plate away and started to stand only to find himself restrained by a number of vines wrapping their way about his legs. "Father isn't the type to let you walk away before finishing your food." Castor added seeing how Naruto had been bound.

"Fine but I need some Super Nova." The cup in front of Naruto filled with the orange fizzing liquid. Taking the glass into his hand he peered at the liquid, "violet supernova," and just like that the liquid shifted its hue. Tentatively he took a sip and found it hadn't changed flavor it the least. With a grin he tilted his head back and sucked down the drink in seconds. As soon as he'd put it down the glass refilled with the violet liquid.

"Play with the color of your drink on your own time Naruto, we've got fields to tend and we can't leave until you do." Pollux said pushing his empty plate away only for it to vanish.

Grumbling Naruto speared another piece of his steak and began shoveling it into his mouth. Soon enough the plate was empty and Naruto followed the two out of the pavilion and into the strawberry fields. He watched as they walked the aisles and began touching the vines, they grew. Castor seeing his shock winked before stepping back and raising his hands into the air. The vines surged forth coiling and weaving until a massive snake at least ten feet long dotted with red strawberries and its mouth filled with thorns. He weaved his hands back and forth and the snakes began to dance, wiggling this way and that amazingly didn't dislodge any of the red berries.

"That's enough Castor." Pollux said as his hands flew into motion as if plucking strands of thread from the air the snake began to unwind and settle back into the earth. "Were at the camp now I thought you promised you'd never create Thessaly again."

Naruto raised an eyebrow as the twins began to bicker, after a while though he wandered away from his siblings and toward the archery range when he found himself surrounded by burly teens and in front of him a strong jawed girl with long black hair. "Welcome newbie, I don't suppose anyones given you the traditional welcome yet though have they?" She said

Mutely Naruto shook his head, and she grinned wider. "Than come with me." The guys beside him grabbed him by the arms and Naruto jumped up and in to the air forcing their hands from his arms. Raising his hands he leveled Aces at the girl and Eights at one of her cohorts. Something was different about the guns though, there was a green stripe going up the handles, one that vanished as he tried to get a closer look.

"Hmm, two six cylinder three fifty sevens not bad at all." The girl said as she started forward. "And magical to boot. I think I can accept that as an entrance fee."

Naruto fired a round toward her feet, it buried itself a foot away and inwardly he cursed himself.

"Didn't your mama ever tell you if you pull a gun you best be willing to use the damn thing." She added sneering at him. "Look at that he doesn't even know how to aim it." She jeered.

Gritting his teeth Naruto surged forward as a pressure began to build in his mind, one begging to be released, one he didn't know what was. Roaring he slipped through her goons outstretched hands leapt over her clapping his hands on her ears and landed in a crouch behind her. She grunted as she turned to face him and the pressure doubled and it seemed to be begging.

Exhaling he urged the feeling forth and watched as thorn covered vines ripped their way from the ground over and over until the area in which he stood appeared to be nothing but brambles. A bramble with living vines that wound their way around her and her goons before lifting them into the air as they screamed. His eyes wide Naruto tried to pull it back to reign in the wild power flowing through him but it was like trying to grab the river, the further he tightened his grasp he the less of it he had.

The next thing he knew his father was standing beside him and with a click of his fingers his attackers dropped to the ground blood seeping slowly from many small wounds created by the thorns. With another click the vines began to wind their way back in to the earth and he turned to look at Naruto. "For future reference bud, you can't force wild, you have to work with it to get it to do what you ask."

He turned to look at the group raising themselves to their feet, "As for you, I believe in trial by combat but you should have known better Ms. Clarisse La Rue. Next time I wont stop them, and know this you I hate." He gnashed his teeth eyes burning with anger, but him, he nodded toward Naruto. "He's a better hero already than you could ever be. Even as those vines sought to take your life for attacking him he was fighting to save you. Far to generous an attempt I believe."

He started off back toward the big house a diet coke appearing in his hand before he stopped and called over his shoulder. "Naruto, your coach friend is being brought in front of the Council of Cloven Elders and myself you should be coming with me."

"Sure pops." Naruto said and shot Clarisse a grin as she glowered at him and licked a small amount of the blood from the tip of her thumb and spat it on to the ground.

"Mr. D wont be around to protect you forever!" She called after him.

Shrugging off Clarisse threat he locked his eyes on his father's back, his mind awhirl. Already he accepted the man before him as his father, and not just the man who'd left his mother all those years ago. He didn't hate the man, he should, or at the very least he figured he shouldn't feel happy to see the man. But he didn't hate him.

The council of cloven elders turned out to be nothing more than a grouping extremely old saytrs white of hair with the youngest of them having a long beard of brown streaked with white and grey sitting around a small clearing in the forest straight behind the big house where the trees curled toward the center leaving only a single circular patch of blue sky above. Standing in the center was Hedge, he glared at the one in the center fingering the small tree branch he leaned against.

Naruto had hardly stepped into the clearing when his father pressed a hand to his shoulder before he moved around the circle and leaned against a nearby tree. He rolled his hands over one another, "lets get this show on the road already Darby." He said drolly.

The saytr with the whitest and longest beard, "My apologies Mr. D but my name is Dalek,"

A smile tugged on the corner of Naruto's mouth as his father's eyes lit up with a purple fire that screamed of some otherworldly pain and Dalek cleared his throat and turned back to Hedge. "Cleveland Hedge, you stand before the council accused of relinquishing the regalia of Pan that you gathered before your most recent assignment."

Hedge opened his mouthed but Dalek continued on, "You relinquished the only evidence of Pans continued life a symbol that would have lifted the spirit of all of us to. a. Demigod!" He bayed jolting to his feet.

Hedge's face purpled, "He was going to die! I was told to watch and protect him its what we do!" He raised his makeshift crutch and shook as he spoke. "I did the right thing! You say anything but and I'll show you why I'm the only Searcher to come back!" He snarled.

It had an effect. Dalek backpedalled before his pale face purpled far deeper than Hedges. "Demigods are the ones who gave them the power to ravage our lords kingdom! Yet you save his" He pointed at Naruto, "life by sacrificing possibly the last relic we have from our LORD!"

Anger flowed through him and he pushed his way in to circle and ripped the gloves from his hands. "These?!" He snapped, "Thats what these are about? Fine take them!" He slung the gloves to the ground between Dalek and himself.

"Foolish child! Do you think Lord Pan would gift one of his children something they could so easily lose as if they were a child's pair of mittens?" He pointed toward the gloves place on the ground and than to Naruto's hands where they'd reappeared.

For his part Naruto poked and prodded at the gloves in both curiosity and awe. "Awesome." He muttered. Slowly he peeled the left glove from his hand and turning hurled it in to the woods and waited. He didn't have to wait long as the glove reformed, slowly at first like ink flowing out from his wrist before bubbling to the surface and smoothing out into the glove. "That is so awesome!" He uttered as he looked up at Dalek who glared back.

"Yes, awesome. Quite" He muttered, "sadly Aces and Eights has effectively been bound to you, unless your father sees fit to sever the connection."

Naruto looked to his father who shook his head and pushed himself from the tree. He strode into the center of the circle and gazed about the council. "I find I couldn't care less for your whining Darby. He gave them to my son, end of story. The matter is closed." Turning on his heel he gestured to Naruto and strode from the clearing.

They were halfway back to the big house when a can of diet coke appeared in his father's hand. "I should just turn them dolphins and shove them toward old barnacle beard." He muttered, "To dare suggest I take what was given to you because of their need for a morale boost." He snorted.

Shrugging, Naruto sidled up beside his father, "So what's there to do for fun?"

His father stopped and looked down at Naruto, his eyebrows raised, "Not interested in helping your brother's cultivate the fields?" Naruto shook his head and his father nodded. "It's not all that surprising, most of my children take after Castor and Pollux I'm afraid but you are one of the few who is more congruent with the traditional view on the typical half-blood."

Throwing the can into the air he snapped his fingers and it vanished, "I believe you'll find the Capture the Flag game more to your liking, you'll have to speak with Castor and Pollux so as to discuss which side you'll be championing." He paused and snapped his fingers again.

Aces and Eights slid into his hands before Naruto even realized, and leapt from his hands not a moment later floated into the air between them. "Your rounds will likely be barred from the competition, so." Once more he snapped his fingers. "Just switch them about and you'll find yourself with something that will give those bratty hero's a nice surprise."

-End-

Authors Notes: please note that with no beta and none of the ones I've attempted to acquire the services responding to my inquiries, (gotta wonder if thats something I should take a hint about.) of course you'll no doubt find some fault with my work. So I ask a reader either suggest a beta or offer as that seems like it would be my best bet.

Congrats to Jarlthane who guessed his godly parent correctly.

Once again thanks for reading my story, I encourage you all to let me know your thought via review and urge you to vote on my poll.

Best Regards

Citizen Seven


	3. Chapter 3

AN: First, let me state that I appreciate all who took enough time to review and I hope this chapter will meet out to not only mine but your own high expectations.

To GJMEGA: I realize the name does not make the character, all I ask is that you give me a little leeway with the whole artistic license thing. The fragmented memories are there, it should be a sign to al the the memories themselves are there, maybe more than a little jumbled but there. A little bit of faith is all I ask.

A True Seed

Chapter 3:

Naruto rolled from his couch at a sudden sharp knocking at the cabins door and groggily stepped over both his likely comatose brother's. He'd told them downing that much Red bull just so they could play the elder scrolls online was a horrible idea, so of course they changed it up and dragged him into it. He told them he had to train in the morning, not that they seemed to care much. He gave the lions and leopards lining the walls a nod as they yawned and stretched themselves awake, before bowing as he passed.

Even as the door swung its way open he knew who stood waiting, Hedge in all his furry reared glory, a tree branch settled against his shoulder that Naruto had long since learned was nothing more than the mans makeshift cudgel since the council had denied him any creation of man beyond the camp t-shirt and his dirty ball cap as a mean of reconnecting him with their lord.

"C'mon kid, you know the drill by now don't ya? Get in gear! You've a minute to get dressed and out here ready or you'll be doing wind sprints until you puke."

A truly empty threat considering they bore knew he could be doing those sprints from dawn till dusk and still have energy and breath to spare. In fact he'd proven the fact just two days previous. He could still remember the coaches exasperated face as he said, "Are we sure Mr. D's your pop?"

Nonetheless, Naruto slipped the door closed as quietly as he could manage which meant after the long night of playing the Zelda series front to back followed by a pac man marathon, that it slammed closed with all the force of a small elephants kick. Neither Castor or Pollux even twitched. Pulling a pair of the black cargo shorts from the drawer along with an orange camp shirt he threw them on and made his way outside to find the coach waiting tapping his hoof impatiently against the ground.

He'd hardly slowed to a stop in front of the sayer when something way slung into his chest, he snagged it from the air even as it started its descent and he blinked and than once more for good measure. In his hand lay a pair of blue banded goggles with orange lenses. Inwardly he groaned.

"I hate you so much. Freaking faun wannabe." He muttered as he trudged ahead of his coach stopping only when he reached the lakeshore.

The branch met the back of Naruto's head, "stop your whinging kid, and I'm a saytr and you Uzumaki were a contender for the coming years olympics. I don't care that you in your own not so humble opinion aren't now. You won't get slack from me now into the water. The nereids are holding hoops you need to get through them all in a minute thirty or less."

Rubbing the back of his head Naruto said nothing as he made his way into the lake, even if coach had the wrong of it. He, Uzumaki Naruto was and wouldn't forever be a monster magnet, how could he in good conscious bring other people who did nothing into that fact? He wouldn't, after all he hoped none of the others would, it'd be putting their family at risk; and for Naruto nothing was more important.

At the coaches whistle he leapt into the water pushing himself deeper toward the water nymph who was blowing him a kiss. If there was anything he'd learnt, nature spirits had a tendency to flirt. Nereids more than most. Ignoring he he pushed onwards spearing through the hoop and curving around to face the next which was closer tot he surface. Even as he passed through it he focused on what was coming, the coach was nothing if not consistent, if he was close enough to come up for air than the next hoop was deeper by far. As he breached the surface his eyes widened as a number of arrows were falling like rain toward him. Taking a deep breath whipped his hand up and fired Ace's twice in quick succession flinging him down deeper into the water just into time to watch the arrows inertia bleed away in the water.

Loosing his grip on his weapon he felt it shift even as he moved, kicking deeper into the water his lungs already burning. His breath above was hardly his best and no doubt that any attempt to breech the surface would be met in the same fashion. The more his lungs burned the stronger the tingling in the back of his mind became and it almost slipped through his grasp twice, with each time Naruto spewing a small a ought of the bubbles away as a small release, before he saw the ring. While its placement in the water was stationary the hoop itself spun guided by the water spirit holding on to it.

She didn't slow the spin as he approached, in fact she gigglingly did the opposite. Gritting his teeth he started to lift his hand and dropped it just as quickly; shooting the nereid wouldn't do him any good. Kicking forward he watched the ring and counted and again before finally trying to get through, he failed to get through without striking it as his shoulder knocked into the hoop. Righting himself he found the nereid had stopped her spin and pointed off up and to the right and held up two fingers.

Smiling Naruto nodded his thanks now truly glad he didn't shoot her. He scrambled through the water as he began the countdown in his head. Twenty seconds until he was totally out of air and still the next hoop wasn't in sight. The lakes surface glowed golden with the sun's light and still there was nothing. A dainty hand waved itself in front of his face forcing him to turn just in time for her lips to catch his own and a surge of oxygen to enter his system. Stiff as a board, he felt the air stop and the nereids tongue trace his lips before she pushed him away one finger to her lips as she pointed behind him. Swiveling his head around he found the hoop floating on the surface, turning to the nereid he found her gone.

Internally groaning Naruto began swimming as quickly as his body would allow, the fierce glint in his eyes sending the Nereid holding the upper hoop scurrying away. He breached the water and shot into the air, as he took in air, not that it was needed he spotted the final hoop, in the shallows in front of the coach. Correction, the stupidly grinning coach.

Curling Naruto slammed back into the water, wishing not for the first time he was a swimmer rather than a gymnast. Still, he surged through the water like a guided missile, even if not at the speed, there were two nereids holding the hoop in one hand as they laid on their backs in the shallows as if they were sunbathing. Grinning as his feet found purchase in the sands Naruto barreled through the hoop coming up into a roll he reared back and slugged Hedge in the stomach.

"Next time at least light the damn rings up, I'll see you in an hour for weapons training, it's time for some ramen."

Weapons training was little more than the coach shoving various weapons in his hands and going through the barest of motions to see if he got a feel for any of them. So far he'd been able to hold just two weapons with any confidence, the first a pair of daggers that the coach he wasn't suited for as they were not for throwing and the spear though less that than the daggers. Afterwards he'd be pitted against one of the boys from the Ares cabin and they'd both end up black and blue, and though he'd always end up with more cuts he always walked away conscious, something none could say for his opponent.

Friday came and much to Naruto's ire he found himself on the red team, which meant he fought under the banner of Ares. Not that he had a problem with the God himself, or his practices but it meant being led by Clarisse and her 'Generals'. Which is why he glared at his brothers as they adjusted their helms. Not that they seemed to mind overly much. "Stop glaring or your going to drive Castor to drink." Pollux said with a smile and than looking over Naruto the smile faded. "You need some kind of armor. That won't protect you from any of their weapons."

Naruto shrugged, absently taking in the huddle of the Athena Cabin a short ways away. To him I the armor didn't matter, it wouldn't do him any good anyway, not with how restrictive it was. Besides if they could get to him than he deserved anything they ended up doling out. When he said as much both of his brothers frowned. Add to that his father was right, Chiron had made a special effort to pull him aside that morning to let him no his rounds could not be used on the campers during the game, a fact neither of his brothers had been excited about. Especially so when he'd refused to try any of the weapons offered to him earlier in the day, instead he a few of the throwing knives and walked away. However they hadn't said a word about it since, not that they weren't shooting him looks as if he were an idiot, they did plenty of that.

Pollux clapped his hands onto Naruto's arms, "Look little brother, Athena cabin didn't offer any benefits, Ares is offering their time with the Hephaestus Cabin to us. Not to mention the favors the Hephaestus kids owe Clarisse." He said it as if we're the greatest thing of all time. "They can build anything! Including a few new Zelda games for us or an expansion pack for that kill 3D setup you've got!" Naruto sighed and nodded, The one who offered the most got the most and the only reason the Hermes Cabin hadn't joined against Athena was because Luke was incredibly tight with Annabeth. Plus there was a couple of things he wouldn't mind getting the children of the forge to build for him. A full size zoid would be awesome, or maybe a full dive Pokemon game.

"Heroes! You know the rules, first team to retrieve their flag and get it back into their own territory is the winner! Their will be no maiming or killing!" Chiron called but Naruto hardly noticed as he caught the roll of his father's eyes. Apparently he didn't think it would be to entertaining without the bloodshed, he was ripped from his thoughts a moment later as the horn signaled the prep time and he was jerked by the arm. Turning he prepared a cool look for Pollux who it turned out was far more touchy than his counterpart and balked as he came face to face with the head honcho of the Ares forces, Clarisse LaRue in all her sneering glory.

She wrapped her fingers tight around the leather tunic and hoisted him into the air, it wasn't something that surprised Naruto, it had happened before and if he were honest he didn't weigh all that much. "Look you little worm! You are going to be going just passed the river and your going to make as many of those vines as you can as soon as you see any of them getting close now go!" She shunted him to the side snatched a spear from one of the small platoon behind her and charged into the forest no doubt to get into position for the second horn signaling the beginning of the game.

Naruto flipped her the bird and sprinted into the overgrowth staggering as the world around him shuddered and all the sudden he was looking at a silver haired man with an odd bandanna adorned with a metal plate covering one of his eyes standing in front of him, the next thing he noticed, the fading light of the sun had been replaced by one high in the sky. "Get into the tree's Naruto, you should know by now, being in the trees gives us from a leaf a large advantage." His voice was droll and Naruto could feel the indignation build within him. The next moment The image fractured and fell apart, leaving him standing in the darkening woods, alone and a horn was blown from behind him.

He was out of position, he realized with frustration, jerking Naruto sped forward and coiling his legs and shot up and into the tree before he realized what he'd done and when he did he found himself midair a thick branch approaching at a rapid pace in front of him, his eyes wide he braced himself for impact and grunted as his shoulder slammed into the tree even as he wrapped his arms about it. As his breath began to even out, Naruto began to laugh, "damn I'm awesome, believe it!" He chuckled as he looked to the next branch and coiling his legs launched himself into the air again, knowing without a doubt he'd make it.

A minute later the river was in sight and despite the amount of small skirmishes on either side and he clenched his hands loosing Ace's and Eight's. They were a calming presence against the pressure that'd been building within the back of his mind and after a moment he shook his head, he couldn't control the vines, and that's probably what Clarisse was hoping for with it all, for him to be hated by everyone as much she hated him. Switching the guns about in his hands he leapt closer to the battle's, the blue team were dominating, they'd pressed the Ares kids against the river line or had their backs against the trees while using their shields and spear butts to hammer away at them until they'd fallen unconscious. It wasn't a bad plan, Athena had a few less combatants than Ares but they'd been mobilized in larger groups with a far better plan. It seemed to prove one thing he'd heard while listening in to one grey eye'd boys, Athena always had a plan.

Raising his weapons as he landed he leapt again swinging his arms around locking onto his target and began pulling the trigger eliciting a 'phfft', with each squeeze of the trigger followed closely by a 'ding' as the projectiles struck the armor and smearing it a neon orange; he stopped as he land in a crouch on another branch a short ways off. He watched as the orange painted enemies fell back into the shallow end of the river, their shields raised. "Where did they come from?" A boy who Naruto marked as a son of Hermes if his sandy blonde hair, bright blue eyes and elvish features were anything to judge by.

"Shut up Dillon," snapped a much smaller girl with brown hair curling about her face her no doubt grey eyes shut in concentration. Naruto couldn't have that, bailing from his position toward a branch far closer to the ground he fired another half dozen shots all of which impacted against the girls helm knocking her back onto her rear and holding tight to her helm which was no doubt ringing like a bell. So focused was he, Naruto didn't notice the arrow until it buried itself into the wood beside his head and panicked, which ended with him tumbling from the limb he'd taken as his perch. He flailed as he plummet toward the ground and grunted as he struck, only to begin rolling about in pain even as the footfall's and soldiers drew closer.

Soon he was surrounded by no less than six of the blue team, including the Athena born girl sans her helmet. "Naruto, dammit I told Anna that you should have been on our team." The girl shook her head disgustedly, "now we've got to bruise that pretty face of yours." She shrugged and stepped back allowing the circle to close tighter around him.

Naruto watched as Dillon raised the butt of his spear as he chuckled evilly, "I gotta give credit where it's due man. Paintballs, totally badass." Than the end of the spear shot toward him and Naruto's mind went static, the guns fell from his hands and his hands flexed together through five positions just as the three spear butts and two tips jammed into his position in an explosion of smoke. Naruto blinked as he gazed at the group staring at a log between them from amongst a bush a short distance away. "What the hell?" Dillion muttered as he kicked the log before turning to his counter part "and you Derrick no maiming or killing means no maiming! I don't care if it's only a week without desert!"

Derrick snorted, "Shut up Dillon, we needed to make an example out of him! You don't mess with us! Besides what's with the freaky log?" He asked as he ripped his spear free leaving a deep gash within the wood.

Glancing towards his hands, Naruto grimaced, the guns like ink seeping from a pen spread across his hands, but they weren't their yet and he needed to move before the other team could regroup and send a message to the command unit. Pulling two of the throwing knives free Naruto rushed from the bush and slammed his hand against he other teens armored head. The result Naruto clutched at his red hand as Derrick dropped to the ground. "Don't mock the log, bastard." He grunted as the rest of the blue team stared at him, he chuckled wryly as they got their bearings and slammed the back of his fist against the nearest ones uncovered face earning himself another of his enemies down this one clutching at his nose while he raised the throwing knife to knock the spear heading toward him to the side. Stepping in closer to Dillon he avoided the thrust shield and punched him in the face. To his credit Dillon didn't fall to the blow instead he fell back and Naruto flipped his hands through their earlier positions and grinned as he was enveloped in a cloud of smoke.

He could feel the contours of the branch under his feet even before the smoke began to disperse and dropping the knives he clenched his hands and gripped his guns elating in the cool feel of the grips before moving them into the opposite hands. "Praise the might of the log!" He howled as he began pulling the trigger and sending the unit marked in blue into a hasty withdrawal that lead them directly into a line of waiting Ares troops. "Now remember! The log is life!"

He leapt to a higher branch and bunching his legs speared through the air towards the other side of the river shooting each of the blue marked soldiers with orange paint across the plume of their helm or on their shoulders as he passed. "To victory!" He roared and sprinted off toward the area the flag was being kept. He paused only twice to fire dozens of his paint filled rounds into platoons of blues who waited in ambush before finding the flag in between two large pines, while two reedy children of Athena stood watching for anything bows in their hands and Naruto couldn't keep the grin from his face, theses soldiers still hadn't looked up before his assault. With the amount of flying monsters in the world you'd think they would.

With a shrug he whipped his arm down and fired a shot before curving it toward her partner and firing another, one struck the nose guard of the helmet while the other just over it splattering paint across their eyes. They screamed and Naruto moved, rushing forward he slammed a shoulder into the closer of the two before running toward the tree. Just steps from the flag he found his forward momentum gone and from behind the flag a tall teen with piercing green eyes, and brown hair walked into the fire light. "You were not the one I was expecting, Uzumaki Naruto. I figured it would be the Ares enforcer's."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, and only a little of had to do with the fact he'd gotten caught, which shouldn't have happened. That the rules had been violated, now that pissed him off, and the teens around him were going to pay the price. "There's was only to be two guards," he ground out staring at the teen as he brought his hand up slowly. Cheater or not, the guy had gotten him and it wasn't something he was going to let happen again, right up until he was turned mid air and found the second guard still frozen in place, half bent over clutching their face.

The guard slowly faded into the background until it broke apart into nothing but mist. "There is only two." The teen said and Naruto could hear the smile in his voice, "what your looking at is nothing more than a 'mist form.'" He laughed a quiet hollow laugh, "see I may be unclaimed but I know who my mother is. I am Alabaster Torrington son of Hecate goddess of Magic. Pleasure to meet you."

Naruto said nothing as he turned back toward the teen his mind awhirl, mist forms, that was badass. Still, he swung his arms up and squeezed the triggers, grinning as the twin neon orange orbs struck the teen in front of him and Naruto dropped to his feet. "Athena always has a plan," he muttered as Alabaster righted himself. Chills rolled over Naruto as the teen in front of him began to chant in Latin and just like that pressure began building in his mind, it was almost as if someone had shoved a white hot poker through his eye and into his brain. Aces and Eights melted away as his hands opened and he dropped to his knees clutching his head. He didn't cry out, he wouldn't, not when Alabaster was still chanting though it had changed and he spoke far faster; slowly he wrenched his eyes open and almost lost the battle of holding the pressure back, though with the writhing, cycling vines attempting to wrangle Alabaster it almost seemed he already had.

They leapt from the ground extending a ways from him before spearing back down into the dirt only to rise again a few yards farther and all around his foe they shot forward only to freeze as they came within a yard of him. The plant would recoil, flailing about until the frozen end of the vine ripped off or shattered free before lancing forwards again, relentless in their desire to reach his current enemy. As one finally slipped through Alabaster's notice wrapping itself about his neck and wrenching him back Naruto surged to his feet his open hand extended and forced the pressure in his mind back and jerked his hand back toward him. The reaction was instantaneous, the vines drooped and fell loosely to the ground as they were bulled back into the soil.

Staggering forward Naruto found Alabaster alive, unconscious and with a rather large bump upon his head and a light bruise already forming about his neck, but most assuredly alive. Nodding, Naruto turned back to the now unguarded flag and ripping it from its place rushed back into the forest. Ace's pulsed as it formed in his hand, his muscles aching he moved slower through the trees and didn't even thing of leaping into them, not with having to hold on to the flag. Still most of the sounds of fighting had ceased, and an urgency began to fill his stomach. He didn't fail, he wouldn't, not with all the campers disrespecting him. 'I'll show them all!' He silently swore.

Breaking into a stumbling run, Naruto found that with each step his body moved easier, as if he hadn't just fought his way through enemy territory, his breath flowed smooth and his gait straightened. Angling slightly he jammed his shoulder into an Athenian trooper throwing them up and over his shoulder without slowing. Cries of surprise began erupting through the woods about him. It seemed as if the blue team hadn't been as defeated as he'd previously thought, more than likely they'd sent skirmishes over the lie and we're waiting for some kind of signal to rush the line and put down the morale or whatever was left of the red team.

Bring about his arm he made to hand the flag over when he realized he didn't have a team and for the life of him he couldn't figure out just why he'd have a pink haired girl beside him. Shaking himself, he pushed on coming through the clearing he'd had his first battle in just moments later, the fighters gone, likely taken by the medics, he thought as he kept moving; just to find himself meeting a line of spears fielded by a number of angry looking Ares kids. He'd no doubt they were there for him but seemed to freeze upon spotting the flag in his hands.

"Get him! Gerald you get the flag and get it across the river." The lead brute stated.

Frowning Naruto stuck the flag into the ground behind him and brought his hands around the gloves pulsing as he took up position with one hand catching the opposite gun right in front of the other. The guns seemed to come alive, stretching like some kind of elastic fabric until Naruto held a shotgun in his hands and he blinked before grinning. "So you were" he chose that moment to fire cock spraying them with dozens of small balls filled with purple and orange pain as he himself was throne to the ground Aces and eights bouncing from his hands and dissolving moments later.

Grunting he held his shoulder and staggered to his feet, the Ares kids lay on the ground in a far worse fashion than he himself and he could see several of them were bleeding. Not a hell of a lot but enough to reassure Naruto they'd be feeling it come the next day. Recovering the flag Naruto staggered toward the river again the flag held high as it came into sight just a minute later and he found Clairisse fighting the other new kid. Shrugging he sloshed his way into the water and planted flag on his shore just as a bright sea foam light erupted above the boys head filled with a golden trident.

"It has been decided! Poseidon, Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses, All hail Perseus Jackson son of the sea god!" Chiron called drawing his bow into the air. Thunder roared in the distance and a feral howl erupted as a huge dog, a hell hound, Naruto'd never seen one but he was sure leapt out of the forest and lunged straight for Percy. Percy who's back was turned.

His heart pounded in his chest, he didn't know him, but he didn't need to. He was a comrade, Naruto's fingers flashed through a series of signs even as vines erupted from the water and the next thing he knew he was jamming Ace's into the hounds mouth as the smoke cleared. He fired and watched as the lights erupted from the captured beast while the darkness wrapped itself about his eyes and a stream of blood poured from his nose.

~Done

Posted 3/12/16

Authors Note: Sorry bout the wait folks, wasn't my intention, was suffering a major case of done wanna do nothen and a minor one of idea overload. Needless to say I've got a number of new ideas but no urge to complete them. So, woohoo for less space in my memory!

In other news, I also apologize for the shortness of the chapter in comparison to the others, However, this chapter needed to be in here and I felt this was a decent enough stopping point. Percy is now announced, Ares team won, uh oh Naruto can swim yeah summary of the chapter in a nutshell. Still everything had a purpose, and I ask my loyal reader to keep with me.

Oh, I'm still looking for a beta, as well as an artist for the cover folks.

I don't do this often but I'm picking a date and time (pacific mind you) when the next chapter will be out. 3/29/16 at 7:00 P.M. At the latest. Okay let's see if a written due date'll help.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own not but the twists I put into the story myself, thus the characters and such don't belong to me.

My apologies, these last weeks have been those from hell, and it's taken me far longer than I'd like to admit to actually get this done. That said it is in fact far shorter than I'd originally planned. Still it is what it is

A True Seed

Chapter 4

For a time he supposed, as time wasn't a typical factor that filtered through his brain, he stood or floated, that to he couldn't quite figure, surrounded by darkness.

"Naruto." A dangerous voice called from the darkness, one that sounded far to eerily like his own for Naruto's liking. He turned and found nothing but darkness as the voice began to laugh. "Oh Na-ru-to!" the voice cackled gaily.

A red eye slammed open in front of him, followed by an orange muzzle, "run brat, RUN!" The muzzle spat and a shiver raced through Naruto. However, instead of running he clenched a fist and stepped forward toward the darkness and everything changed. Concrete slipped beneath his feet as he was enveloped in a thick shroud of mist. Only one thing hadn't changed. Despite the sounds of battle echoing around him, he stood alone.

A bright flash of what could only be fire erupted to his right and Naruto moved, only to skid to a stop outside a dome of what could only be described as mirrors and in each mirror a girl wearing a mask and wielding needles. The most disturbing part, wasn't the red eyes of the black haired youth or how the woman was leaping from mirror to mirror or even the black haired boy, Sasuke, his mind stated in no uncertain terms, spat multiple balls of fire. No, it was the fact that even as he stopped another of him sped forward as if he were ghosting right through him and into the dome.

"I think, that's enough." The familiar voice of his father said as the scene froze and he appeared in front of Naruto. His golden hair shining as he looked about for a moment before a Diet Coke settled itself in his hands. "Well this is a nasty place." He said and with a snap of his fingers, it all vanished leaving them standing in the big house.

"What was all that? What's going on?" Naruto snapped as his father lowered himself into his customary seat when playing pinochle. Dionysius raised and eyebrow and glanced at the chair opposite the table as him. Naruto scratched the back of his head as he moved to his seat.

"I spoil you far too much it seems." The God said with a frown, "any other God save that simpering Apollo would see you punished for demanding anything as you've just done." He ran a hand through his hair with a sigh before shaking his head. "Think on what your siblings have told you, the first of the two curses that come from being a child of the twice born God. Nonetheless I've put a wall about those scenes of yours. Just don't pick at it." He snapped before vanishing. Naruto had hardly the time to blink before light, one so blinding he struggled away from it filled the room.

Than he found himself staring into the light of a miniature mag light held by a very close Chiron, who snapped back as Naruto scrambled away, only to succeed in falling off the bed. Right into the lap of Alabaster who huffed and pushed him off just as soon as he landed.

"Dear boy, I don't believe you've a reason for all that!" Chiron snorted one of his hooves pawing at the floor. "Still, your father will be pleased to know that you've woken. After all you've been asleep for the last few days." With that he shot Naruto who'd managed to get his feet underneath him another frown before exiting the room at a canter.

Naruto blinked at the retreating Chiron as beside him Alabaster snorted, "course he'd get insulted when one of his underlings try to get away from him, especially from one who's the child of the one he serves."

Naruto stared at the other teen until Alabaster shrugged, "if it were me, well, I'd probably have dish duty at the least for well over a month for such an insult." He shrugged again before heading for the door, "come on, there's someone you're going to need to meet." With that he continued on.

Scratching the back of his head in though Naruto Narrowed his eyes toward the door before grinning widely and followed the other teen out, his reasoning simple. He'd already beaten Alabaster's face into the ground once he could do it again.

Alabaster led him through the camp a small deck of cards being shuffled in his hands. Naruto smiled and waved at the staring campers they passed until he noticed none of them bothered to greet him in turn. That's when his smile became a glare. All the way up until they approached cabin sevens gleaming gold doors. The door opened without Alabaster even raising an arm to knock.

"What do you want nutjob?" Michael Yew, if Naruto remembered right, he head black hair brown eyes and a scrunched up face surrounding his all to pointed nose.

Alabaster didn't bat an eye, instead he gained a cocky smirk. "Just tell Kayla I'm here already, or do I need to bash you into the building until she comes running to save your scrawny ass all over again?"

Michael flushed and looked about to say something when a willowy girl just taller than Naruto himself, stepped in front of Michael, her shoulder length honey hair streaked with a neon pink acted like a curtain between Alabaster and the raging son of Apollo, not that Naruto was really paying attention. What with her wearing a jewel studded collar a white shirt featuring a bright purple cartoon panda over a long pink undershirt and loose black pants, in a look that screamed hiya! I've arrived. She smiled at Alabaster showing off her pure white teeth before turning to Michael. "Austin and Fletcher are looking for you, they're arguing about the tambourine again." She shoved him inside before turning to Alabaster.

"Well, if all you wanted to show me was Naruto, I should just go back inside. Will's working on another ballad for the sing along, I could be helping." She smirked as Alabaster groaned.

"C'mon sunshine, we've got better things to do than talk about Will's 'ballads'" he stopped talking as he made air quotes.

She looked indignant about that, "he's getting better you know!-" Alabaster interrupted, "and he's the best at playing the harp, bagpipes, and banjo, I know, I know." He rolled his eyes and started for the forest.

"You coming or not?" He called over his shoulder.

Naruto looked at Kayla, "he does that a lot doesn't he?" She nodded and his face dropped.

"He think it makes things more exciting and mysterious." She explained with a laugh before pushing his shoulder and heading after Alabaster who if you asked Naruto had sped up his pace as he was already nearing the tree line. "Still, he's the son of Hecate what do you expect?" She said and threw him a grin before racing off.

Shooting off after them, Naruto easily caught up to Kayla and shooting her a wink he took a deep breath and barreled ahead of her. "See you there." He yelled as he reached the tree line.

A hundred yards in, deep enough the sun's light hardly pierced the canopy above however, he skid to a stop as he was filled with dread. A growl so familiar Eight's formed in his hand and pointed off in the direction of the blood red eyes of the hell hound. It howled even as a melody kicked up behind him. Evanescence's 'Bring me to Life' if he remembered the opening bars right.

The eyes and growl vanished reappearing behind him and whirling Naruto raised Ace's join Eight's. "How?" Naruto snapped,

"Hellhounds can move through shadow." Kayla said before she slipped into Ancient Greek as she began to sing. Naruto grinned as he watched the hound wobble for a moment and fired and grimaced just as quickly as the hound vanished upon hearing the 'crack' of his shot. As soon as it's eyes appeared again he fired and missed.

Growling himself, Naruto leapt into a tree and found the hound emerge slowly from the branch opposite him like a pile of sand slowly overfilling its container. Two more shots that the hound merely leapt to another branch to avoid before it launched itself at him. Flinging himself from the branch, Naruto started to run from branch to branch jumping and swinging away from hounds snapping jaws and tearing claws. Until it appeared on a branch above him and Naruto knew forward was no longer an option.

Stepping forward Naruto dropped as he wrapped a hand about the branch that'd been his perch and using the momentum of his fall swung back up and around as the hellhound landed only to be sent into the air with a pained yelp as Naruto's feet slammed into it's stomach. Bringing up Ace's and fired at the falling monster, his shots went wide.

"I know Cas said this place was stocked with monsters and all but I thought it was on request or something!" Naruto said to himself as the hound scrambled to its feet from where it landed on the ground. It sniffed at the ground for a moment before looking back up to Naruto and locking eyes with him, it howled. It's body fell away into the shadows that surrounded it's feet. Eyes wide Naruto stared about, there was no hell hound, all was silent.

Naruto pressed his back to the trunk of the tree and began surveying the area when a thought struck him. All was silent. There was no music! Turning on his heel Naruto bolted back the way he'd come, kicking off every branch with everything he had, his heart racing in his chest.

'You don't even know the girl!' A dark voice whispered in the back of his head, 'Why are you running to save her? How can you save her when you couldn't even save your own mother.'

The thoughts only urged him on. Everything he came across became a springboard of some kind, for one appendage or another. Finally the sound of the monsters growls filled his ears again and Naruto could see Kayla jabbing and spinning with a long spear topped with an arrow like blade keeping the beast at bay. Grinning Naruto chided himself, Kayla was as much a Demigod as he, after all.

LeapIng from the branch his hands moving in the same pattern they'd the last time he was in the forest and the lunging beast was enveloped in a plume of smoke. Even as the smoke cleared he could hear the monsters yelp of surprise only to find himself on the business end of Kayla's spear. He fell into a backwards tumble to avoid being skewered even as her eyes widened upon seeing her target replaced by him.

The growling of the hound grew louder and tilting his head back Naruto saw it stood only a few yards from them looking ready to charge. "That's enough." Alabaster said as he raised a hand into the air dissipating the hellhound into innumerable motes of light that vanished as quickly as they'd come.

Alabaster was smiling and speaking as he walked up to them but Naruto couldn't hear a word, instead he could only see his mother erupt in an eerily similar way. He didn't even try to stop the pressure building inside his mind, instead forcing it into the ground at his feet and urging it toward Alabaster. The other teen was far from prepared for the wild vines that split the ground about his feet and coiled their way about him as they drug him into the air. "How?" Naruto spoke in a whisper as he approached the other two, the rage filling him beyond any he'd ever felt.

"How did you make it disappear? Did you have anything to do with my mother?" He roared as he brought his head up to look at the panicking Alabaster, who only seemed to panic more at the sight of Naruto. Or more specifically, Naruto's now a violent pair of purple eyes.

"Transmogrified, I didn't." Alabaster gasped as he struggled for air and just like that the anger vanished. The vines went slack and Naruto stared at Alabaster who knelt on the ground rubbing his neck, in confusion.

"Transmog-what?" He asked.

Kayla's furious face found its way into his, "why should he tell you a Styx be damned thing?" She shoved her finger into his chest. Naruto was ready to yell right back at her despite the guilt that came with her words when Alabaster spoke.

"Enough Kayla, he's doing what we would do in his place." He said as he moved to his feet and smiled softly, "he's got his priorities in order at the least. Anyway it means someone took her. Probably has something to do why the weather's so messed up." As if to prove his statement thunder rolled.

"But the storms never touch camp, they just roll on by." Kayla said.

Alabaster shook his head, "The Olympians are pissed about something." He continued but Naruto wasn't paying attention. One of the Olympians had his mother. They'd taken her from him. He moved to stand in front of Alabaster again.

"I'm going to get her back. You coming?" He asked before turning and striding back toward the camp.

His mind awhirl he came up with ideas and discarded them just as quickly. Chiron wasn't likely to help, he was to focused on that Percy kid. Coach was still grounded, not that it would necessarily stop him but the coach had his goals and for them he needed to stay. Which left a total of no one unless Alabaster decided to go. Not that it mattered, he'd go alone if need be, he just needed a few, supplies.

He made a straight shot through the camp hardly listening to the words of the nattering campers but a few slipped through despite his attempts otherwise: "You hear about Jackson? Mr. D called for him. He came out looking real shaky" Or "Word is Percy's going on a quest." Or even, "I heard from Danny who heard from the Stoll's, Percy chose Grover to go with him, I mean don't get me wrong. Grover's nice and all-"

His hands curled into fists, his father, he'd given a quest to Jackson, granted he'd killed the Minotaur but still! How could he?! He ground his teeth as the blood in his body seemed to boil beneath his skin. He paused to look at the Gardner girl who was walking up to him, she recoiled and Naruto continued.

The lions roared as he opened the door and stepped over his brother's unconscious forms. Dozens of bottles of alcohol free beer strewn around them on the floor, Naruto snorted. Some family. Weren't even waiting for him to wake up, instead they spent their night as they usually did. Eyeing the slight bulge in Pollux's pocket, Naruto gave his brother a quick kick to the side, receiving only a grunt and mumble having something to do with, 'more.' Grinning he crouched beside him and slowly pulled the package free only for his smile to deepen at the number of jingles the thing gave off.

Turning back to the cupboards he pulled one open after another until he found what he was looking for. A pre-made quest pack... With a number of open pockets. No doubt his siblings or the Hermes kids decided there was nothing valuable about keeping items like that just laying about. Pulling it out he was surprised to see they'd left the ambrosia packs intact along with an extra dagger and a change of clothes even if they were simply drab camp motif shirts and shorts. They'd do.

He'd started to zip up his pack when he spotted the fridge, and grinned. Half a dozen steps later, three of which may or may not have been across his brother's sleeping forms, and a quick pull on the door and he was drooling. The top two shelves were filled with, Kool-Aid and Caprisun's in equal measure but the bottom, four six packs of dew. When Naruto stepped away his bag was brimming with the canned liquid as each was shoved into any cranny that one could be fit, casting another look at his brother's, he popped the top before shrugging and striding out from the building without even closing the door behind him, his brothers none the wiser for his temporary presence.

He met up with Alabaster at the top of the hill exchanging a quick smile and a nod with the other teen than frowned as he spotted Kayla off to the side a pack holding an electric guitar on her back. She wasn't smiling either. "Like do you even know where we're going?" She brushed a few locks of her pink hair behind her ear and settle the other on her hip.

Alabaster answered before Naruto could, "West, the underworld is always in the west. These days I'm thinking L.A."

Naruto nodded, "than that's where we go." He adjusted his pack over his shoulder and headed toward the boundary chugging the last of the dew as he went.

"Naruto that's South man." Alabaster stated in an annoyed tone, getting the blonde to stop and scratch the back of his head as he chuckled and Alabaster began rubbing his eyes. "It's going to be a very long trip."

It didn't take them long to reach the road and looking away from the sun Naruto clenched his jaw. "Let's move."

Authors Notes:

I know, I know, this long without an update and it ends up being as short as this one? Still, I didn't want to start the journey in the middle of the chapter and for the life of me I couldn't think of anything to bring up the length to much.

As you all may have once again noticed this chapter is not beta'd and I'm still looking. So if any of you want to see the chapters turned out faster than give a guy a hand.

In other news, obviously I'm not dead that's first, second, I've recently talked to a gentleman from scholastic. Awesome right? Yeah, and now I've even more on plate than I had before but I'll try to be a bit more consistent with the updates. Though I make no promises.

Thanks for reading

Citizen Seven


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